Come Celebrate the Run Across Ethiopia with Us!

On Thursday February 24th, the Run Across Ethiopia team will host a homecoming celebration for all the donors, supporters, and family members who helped make the trip possible.  It will be held at the Park Place Hotel dome in Traverse City, and is free and open to the public.  The event, scheduled between 6 pm and 9 pm, will feature new live music by Seth Bernard and May Erlewine based on their experiences on the trip, a video preview of the RAE documentary by Westonfilm, photos, conversation, short presentations by RAE team members, and a big announcement about the culminating outcomes of the Run Across Ethiopia project.

The RAE runners were each responsible for raising at least $15,000 for the school-building effort before going on the trip.  At this writing through their efforts and those of over 800 individuals, corporations, foundations, organizations, schools, and churches, the Run Across Ethiopia met all of their financial goals.  With the original goal met, the board of directors of On The Ground voted last week to completely fund all three planned school projects. Two of the projects will be built in a community where Higher Grounds purchases our Ethiopian Yrgacheffe Light Roast.

Additionally, funds have been used to support a school lunch program in one of the most impoverished areas of the capital city, Addis Ababa. The Missionaries of Charity: Home for the Dying and Destitute received a $1000 donation after the team celebrated Ethiopian Christmas with the children of the orphanage and a concert by Seth and May.  Street children will also get informal education thanks to the funding of the Gorumsa Project - which is supporting Team Tesfa runners to educate homeless children in the capital city of Addis Ababa. 

Come to the Park Place Hotel Dome on Thursday February 24th between 6 - 9 pm to help welcome home the Run Across Ethiopia team, and celebrate the great success of the project in committing to build three schools in communities of need in Ethiopia.  Find out more by visiting the On the Ground website or contact Bill Palladino for more information, 231.922.9009    bill@onthegroundglobal.org