What is a little 5K (all uphill) on a beautiful Sunday morning in August?  It’s everything to the young woman in Karagwe, Tanzania who will benefit from race funds and won’t have to walk 4 miles each day to fetch water from the nearest source.  Instead she can attend KARUCO – Karagwe University College and learn how to develop an agribusiness and apply what she learns at the university.  So “Asante sana” (thank you very much) to the 100+ runners who showed up August 9th at Staring Lake for the “Running for Victory 5K Run/Walk” and were part of the story. Donors helped ETI raise over $3,000. to provide piping and water treatment for the 4 (200,000) liter water storage tanks. The tanks are part of KARUCO’s water harvesting system that serves to collect, store, purify, distribute and re-use rainwater.  (Karagwe gets more rainwater than Minnesota – yep (!) it’s true. And we need to not “waste a drop”.)

And a good time was had by all at the race!  Race Coordinator, Becky McCathie and a team of wonderful volunteers did a superb job organizing, setting up and carrying out a fabulous race.  A special shout out to Katie Shepard, ETI volunteer and advocate, without whom none of this would have happened.  Everyone from ETI felt very special as members of RUNMN, Victory Lutheran Church, and friends of ETI came together to support this amazing cause.  Following the race was a gorgeous outdoor worship service at Staring Lake Amphitheater (thank you Pastor Prigge & the Praise Band), and following that was a classic (I do mean classic) Lutheran potluck with 12 (yes, count them – 12!) crock pots of hot-dish and all kinds of sides.  Think what Garrison Keillor would have said! We had to fight off the passers-by (just kidding).  Seriously, it is humbling to be able to do what we can to give our partners in Tanzania a leg up.  Thanks all for being a part of the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Victory Lutheran Church – Eden Prairie!