Hey friends!
I have something really exciting to tell you about today … the Integrity Worldwide Run for Kenya.
Integrity Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that operates to rebuild, renew and restore communities that have been destroyed by extreme poverty. They provide medical and dental care, ministry, clean water, education and other resources to under-served areas in Kenya and Tanzania. Please check out more about them by visiting their website.
Integrity Worldwide is a wonderful ministry, influenced by Isaiah 61, with a calling “to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”
The organization is putting on a 10K, 5K and 1 mile race on October 17th in Selma, Alabama. Daniel and I have lots of friends and family in Selma, but we won’t be able to be there on October 17th. We really wanted to be there to support such a great cause, but we had a couple of conflicts and weren’t going to be able to participate … until we found out that this year, the race organizers have decided to add a virtual run!
For those of you that may not be familiar with the concept, a virtual run is a race that can be run anywhere you are and anytime you want. There is no specific starting time or place, you complete the run on your own time, wherever, whenever, and however you choose (run, walk, crawl, hop, skip, jump … whatever makes you happy!). Integrity Worldwide is literally taking their race worldwide this year, so that anyone can participate.
I am so excited to participate in my first ever virtual run! My training group is running 21 miles that morning, so Daniel and I will be running at 6 a.m. from Running Wild in Fairhope. Want to get involved? I know you do!
First you need to sign up … Here is the link. Then on October 17th (wherever you are and whenever you want to), you run! If you want to be included in the “official” results, complete one of the designated distances (10K, 5K or 1 mile) and email your results to info@integrityworldwide.com. If you want to just run for fun, go for it! Snap a picture of yourself running or your watch when you are done and upload to social media using the hashtag #runforkenya.
Oh, and I almost forgot. You get an awesome tee-shirt! Check it out.
Maybe you are reading this and you’re thinking, “Well that’s nice, but I’m not really one of those crazy runner people. I wish I could still get involved.” Well, there is good news! You can! There is a “sleep in” option on the registration. You still receive a shirt, but you don’t run. You can also make a tax-deductible donation online and lift the organization and its missionaries up in prayer.
I really hope that y’all will consider getting involved with this race. It is for such a great cause! Be sure to follow Integrity Worldwide on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to learn more about them and follow along with all of the fun!