Dawn Bengtson chairs the event and all money raised from the race will go to cover the educational costs of the children living at the Lighthouse Children's Home in Bon Repos, Haiti.

 

The Lighthouse is run by Jesus in Haiti Ministries and is home to nine children in grade school, most of whom were orphaned after the 2010 earthquake and 14 young men who are finishing high school and preparing for college.

 

Virtually all schools in Haiti are private and the kids from the Lighthouse would not have the means to attend school without the funds from the Haitian Hustle. Race money will cover tuition, books and other supplies and transportation to school.

 

For several years Bengtson has been “doing the hustle” for a worthy cause and her efforts are continuing to reap benefits for needy children in Haiti. 

 

In August 2011, she inaugurated the first annual Haitian Hustle in Becker. The 5K “Fun Run for Education” was the product of a 2010 trip to Haiti, when Bengtson’s heart broke for the Haitian people as she witnessed firsthand the devastation of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that had struck the nation just two weeks earlier. 

 

Responding to God's call to care for the “least of these,” she collaborated with the nonprofit Jesus in Haiti Ministries to develop the race as a way to raise funds for tuition, school supplies, and school uniforms for young residents of Lighthouse Children’s Home.

 

Bengtson was asked about doing some fundraising for the people of Haiti after she first visited the republic and stayed at the home of Tom Osbeck, founder of Jesus in Haiti Ministries. Osbeck suggested she start a fundraiser and Bengtson balked, figuring she wasn’t qualified and was too busy being a nursing graduate.

 

Despite her hesitation, Bengtson eventually escaped her uncertainty and started the race the next year. It was an overwhelming success, garnering 180 racers and  raising more than $10,000 in its first running. The Hustle was picked up in 2012 by the city of Austin and funds raised from the 2013 races were sufficient to send all residents of Lighthouse Children’s House to school, as well as cover their supplies and uniforms. 

 

The next year, Fort Wayne, In., and Cincinnati, Oh came on board. 

 

“My church, Becker Evangelical Free Church is the force behind it,” she said.  “We've sent many teams to Haiti over the the last six years.  The co-coordinators are Katrina Brown and Shannon Nuest who are completely vital to organizing the race.”  

 

Bengtson gets many volunteers from her church.  The race is sponsored by businesses from Becker and friends who have a heart for Haiti and want to give.  The only cost of the race is the tshirts, every other dollar goes to the kids.

 

This year, over 300 runners and walkers participated.

 

Bengtson is humbled by how far God has taken the event, and her. 

 

“I felt so inadequate that first year and still do,” she admits. “But as long as He calls me to do it, I will be obedient and watch Him work.”