Adoptive Parents Organize Run for Daughter's Orphanage
By: Dawn White
Updated: May 3, 2010
FREDERICK, MD - More than 6,000 people of all ages laced up their sneakers and braved the heat for the Frederick Marathon, but a group of runners worked through a little extra sweat to raise money for Haitian orphans.
"We had 21 runners, half of them who never met us, never met our daughter, they are so willing to raise money," says Christie Hubner, a mother who adopted her daughter, Ila, from Haiti. "We raised $10,000 for the orphanage."
Kids at Ila's orphanage in Port-Au-Prince won't likely forget about this race, which will feed all of them for three months. The runners say helping these children without parents makes it all worth it.
"There's so much need still in Haiti," says Hubner. "There's so much going on, there's still people living in tents. There's still people who don't have food and water regularly."
Three runners competed in the 5K, 10 runners prepared for relays and the rest ran in the half marathon.
"The fact that we're suffering just a fraction of the amount they do, and to help them not suffer so much just kept us going," says runner Dawn Wagner.
Thinking about Ila's suffering helped Dave Hubner, the little girl's adoptive father, complete his race.
"When you're running, and you're thinking about what all has happened, it gets you each step further and gets you over the finish line," says Dave Hubner.
The team cheered each other on, so children like Ila won't have to go hungry another day.
For more information on Ila's orphanage and to see how you can help click here.
"We had 21 runners, half of them who never met us, never met our daughter, they are so willing to raise money," says Christie Hubner, a mother who adopted her daughter, Ila, from Haiti. "We raised $10,000 for the orphanage."
Kids at Ila's orphanage in Port-Au-Prince won't likely forget about this race, which will feed all of them for three months. The runners say helping these children without parents makes it all worth it.
"There's so much need still in Haiti," says Hubner. "There's so much going on, there's still people living in tents. There's still people who don't have food and water regularly."
Three runners competed in the 5K, 10 runners prepared for relays and the rest ran in the half marathon.
"The fact that we're suffering just a fraction of the amount they do, and to help them not suffer so much just kept us going," says runner Dawn Wagner.
Thinking about Ila's suffering helped Dave Hubner, the little girl's adoptive father, complete his race.
"When you're running, and you're thinking about what all has happened, it gets you each step further and gets you over the finish line," says Dave Hubner.
The team cheered each other on, so children like Ila won't have to go hungry another day.
For more information on Ila's orphanage and to see how you can help click here.
