Run4Kenya is a group that consists of students who have a desire to do ministry with gifts they already have. It is made up of students who enjoy running marathons, as well as anyone who is interested in using running to raise funds for missions.
“At the end of last fall, after cross country season was over, a bunch of the cross country runners wanted to do something with running that was a mission,” junior Mike Wilson said. “We came up with an idea of using running to fundraise.”
They have a connection with Word Ablaze, a group that helps the homeless and refugees in Kenya. The group raises money through donations from family, friends and business sponsors, who give per mile run. All the money they raise is given to Word Ablaze.
Wilson and sophomore Joanna Halliburton created this group together. The group’s focus is to create opportunities for students who desire to do ministry with the talents God has given them.
“Our goal is to take our gifts and try to find how to plug them into ministry, instead of trying to find a group that fits (our) goal,” Wilson said.
There will be a marathon in Philadelphia at 7 a.m. on Nov. 23. About 18,000 people will join the Philly marathon, and 26 of the runners are from Eastern. Eight of them will run the full marathon, which is 26.2 miles, and the rest will run the half-marathon, which is 13.1 miles. They will run a total of 445.4 miles during the marathon.
It costs about $100 for the full marathon and $65 for the half marathon. The runners will try to find sponsors, such as family and friends, rather than supporting themselves. Runners who register with Run4Kenya can get a $20 discount.
The registration this year is already closed, but if you are interested in joining in the future, registration will open in April of next year.
Mikaela Brown 
Sophia Hunter 
Jayme Fisher