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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rachel Matheis Shaver
May 18, 2010 859-321-0444
6th ANNUAL ELLIE’S RUN FOR AFRICA FURTHERS TEEN’S DREAM
TO EDUCATE AFRICAN CHILDREN
NASHVILLE, Tenn., — For the sixth year in a row, Ellie’s Run for Africa will bring hope to the children living in the slums of Kenya by raising funds for their education and helping to break the cycle of poverty that plagues their communities.
Proceeds from the event are slated to primarily benefit two projects: The New Dawn School and the Emmanuel Vocational School. Both projects serve students in their teen years in Nairobi, Kenya slums – where education is an often-missed opportunity for the majority of their peers yet is the ticket out of the slums.
Says one student, Hannington Odhiambo, of his time at New Dawn Academy: “I thought that school was a place of total freedom and independence with all the luxurious things around but the time I joined New Dawn Educational center I found a true and real school. A school that not only concentrated on academics but also on discipline matters as well as spiritual growth. A school that … had special teachers who helped me to grow upright in the epoch society.”
One American Child Helping One African Child
Ellie’s Run for Africa started when one Nashville, Tenn. child – Ellie Ambrose – saw pictures of African children whose skin, as Ambrose says, “looked like it would break their bones, they were so hungry.” Ambrose was ten. Now 16, Ambrose has raised approximately $210,000 which has funded classroom construction and purchased uniforms, books and shoes for students. Several hundred students are impacted each year.
“In the last six years, this opportunity to help kids in Africa has made me feel hopeful, eager, frustrated and grateful all at the same time,” says Ambrose, who is currently planning her 4th trip to Africa this summer and will independently study Swahili – the language of Kenya – in the fall. “But, no matter how I feel, the kids who I have met in Africa still need our help. We’ve been able to help these kids with exactly what they need for five years, and I am eager to see the Nashville community help them again.”
Event Details
Date: May 22, 2010
Time: 6:30 a.m. – Registration (both pre-registered and on-site registrants)
7:30 a.m. - 5K Race
8:30 a.m. - Kid’s One-Mile Fun Run
6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - Entertainment, games and refreshments
Location: Percy Warner Park, Cross Country Field
Corner of Hwy 100 and Old Hickory Blvd.
Nashville, Tenn.
To learn more about Ambrose’s story, who we benefit and the race day activities, visit www.elliesrun.org. To learn more about African Leadership, a Brentwood-based non-profit organization that administers all Ellie’s Run for Africa proceeds to projects in Africa, visit www.africanleadership.org.
Ellie’s Run for Africa
Ellie’s Run for Africa is a 5K race and family fun day that raises money and inspires others to act for Africa. Sprung from the dream and prayers of one 10-year-old girl, Ellie’s Run for Africa brings together North American communities to Dream Big and Take Action for Africa about how they can strengthen the future of African children through education and healthcare.
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For Immediate Release -- April 14, 2010
Contact: Kristen Hayner, Ellie’s Run for Africa, 615-496-3223
Contact: Lori Genes, Capitol Records Nashville, lori.genes@emicap.com
CAPITOL RECORDS RECORDING ARTIST EMILY WEST HEADLINES “AFRICA AT THE PINNACLE”
Fundraiser benefits educational efforts in Africa through Ellie’s Run for Africa
Nashville, TN – Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Emily West will headline the 2nd annual Ellie’s Run for Africa spring fundraiser, event organizers announced today.
This year’s event – “Africa at the Pinnacle” – will take place at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. A suggested donation of $20 is requested from all attendees.
“I am so thrilled to help out with this amazing event,” said West. “Ellie’s story of persistence in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for kids who desperately need our help is inspiring. I really look forward to making this year’s event a success.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit educational efforts in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya – which are among the largest and most destitute in the world. The funds will be added to the total yearly proceeds for Ellie’s Run for Africa 2010 and donated to efforts in Africa through Brentwood, Tenn.-based African Leadership.
All attendees must be age 21 or older, and will receive complimentary parking, appetizers, beverages and live musical entertainment.
About Ellie’s Run for Africa
Ellie’s Run for Africa is a 5K race and family fun day that takes place each spring to raise funds for educational efforts in Africa. This year’s event – which will take place on May 22, 2010 at Percy Warner Park – will mark the 6th annual race in Nashville. In the past five races, Ellie’s Run for Africa has raised $210,000.
Started by a Nashville teen, Ellie Ambrose of Green Hills, Ellie’s Run for Africa connects local individuals with an opportunity to walk along side children in Africa as they seek an education that literally means the difference between a perpetual life of poverty in the slums and modest financial independence thanks to education and vocational training.
“In the three times I have been to Africa, it’s been really tough for me to see just how much these people need,” says Ambrose. “But, on my last trip to Africa in July 2009, I really saw God turn my anger into hope that we can really help people in these slums have hope through education. As little as $25 can make a huge difference for an entire year in one child’s education. So, we invite the whole Nashville community to come out to Africa at the Pinnacle and Ellie’s Run for Africa.”
For more details about Ellie’s Run for Africa and its 2010 events, please visit www.elliesrun.org.
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