By Bill Morgan, Staff Writer

 

Becker’s annual Haitian Hustle 5k is a fun run to benefit families in Haiti.

This year’s race is  Sat., Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. at the Becker Primary school. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m.

Ever since its inception in 2010, hundreds of runners and walkers — pros and novices — hit the streets of Becker to raise money to cover the educational costs of the children living at the Lighthouse Children's Home run by Jesus in Haiti Ministries.

The Haitian Hustle 5k was started eight years ago to help raise money for children in Haiti affected by the 2010 earthquake. Many children were orphaned from the quake and the Lighthouse was created to care and tend to the children. The Lighthouse is not an orphanage, but an intentional family made up of these orphaned children (many now teenagers and older) and their caregivers. 

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.

If funds raised exceed what is needed for educational costs, the additional goes toward their living expenses for the coming year.

This year as well as previous years, the event features a “virtual race” where people from all over the U.S. will be running in their own hometowns, receiving a t-shirt and giving to this cause. It also will be run simultaneously by the kids who are supported by the race in Haiti.  

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.

Over 300 runners and walkers participated in last year’s event.

Many local businesses sponsor the Becker Haitian Hustle.  It is overseen by Becker Evangelical Free Church because they feel they need to be obedient to God's call to care for those in need.

Persons interested in registering or donating can do so by going to the website www.haitianhustle.com.  Online registration is closed but runners/walkers can still register on the day of the event for $25 (adults) and $15 (kids). Tshirts are first-come, first-served.

Bengtson says every year, the fall sports teams come out and cheer along the route. She notes this is the ministry that Nate Bucher, Becker second grade teacher and wife Kristi partnered with when they moved to Haiti for two years.