5K run raises money for community in Rwanda

Runners are lacing up their shoes for a good cause.

They took part in the 8th annual Run for Rwanda at Cottonwood Creek Park Saturday.

“It’s a great event, a great way to get exercise and support people in a different country who are in a different situation than we are,” runnerKelly Berge said.

The event raises money for health clinics and scholarships for people in Kibali, Rwanda.

“A lot of people know about the genocide,” race directorKevin Werner said. “We also want to show that Rwanda as a community, as a country, is progressing.”

Several runners took part in the water carry challenge during the race. They carried a 5-gallon jug of water every step of the way.

A sponsor donated a water filtration system for every team that completed the water carry challenge. The filtration systems will be given to communities throughout Africa.

“We ran parts of it. We could not run the whole thing. It was pretty heavy,” said Robert Clayton, who was carrying a water jug with his dad. “It added a whole different aspect as far as how hard it was but it was to represent what they do in Rwanda daily.”

A race also took place thousands of miles away inKibali. Race organizers said the simultaneous race connects people from across the world.

“It’s really to show solidarity with that community in Rwanda, to be a part of it,” Werner said. “They are gathering together as a community and we are gathering in Colorado Springs as a community.”

In the race’s eight-year history, organizers have raised more than $100,000 for theKibali community.

“We’ve now built three buildings. They are in the process of building the fourth building, an HIV/AIDS clinic for education and treatment,” Wener said. “The ultimate goal is to get the whole facility there to be a hospital for that whole region.”