Becker’s 10th annual Haitian Hustle took place Sat., Aug. 22. The HH is a 5k fun run created by Dawn Bengston to raise funds for the education of the children of Haiti.

Bengston created the race in 2010 after visiting a group of kids on a trip to Haiti and seeing their situation. Education is not free or widely available in Haiti. There are many students who would not receive an education at all were it not for the HH and Jesus in Haiti Ministries (JiHM).

This year, the Hustle raised over $15,000. This will benefit nearly 400 Haitian students supported by JiHM. This funding came from business sponsorships and the 250 registered runners and walkers. Half of the registrants showed up  Aug. 22, running in the special 10th Anniversary shirts provided. The other half were either unable to attend or prefered to run the 5k on their own time, but still wanted to support the cause. The Becker community, through various groups and individuals, sponsors over 15% of the students at the Grace Emmanual School, operated by JiHM.

But the HH has grown beyond Becker. Two hundred runners in 18 states nationwide participated in the run virtually. Residents of Woodland, Calif. were set to host a sister run on the same day as Becker’s HH, but had to postpone due to poor air quality caused by wildfires. In total, 550 runners participated, or will participate, in this year’s run, which is a new record for the event. Of course, this number only includes official registrants, and does not include the students and families in Haiti who decided to hustle as well.

The top finishers, among the men, were Soren Richardson of Northfield, clocking in at 19:43; Troy Nuest of Becker, 19:50; and Luke Pappenfus of Becker, 19:57. The women were led by Sara Laugen of Big Lake, 20:04; Dani Nuest of Becker, 20:43, and Ashlee Francios of Hancock, 21:06.

For more information about the Haitian Hustle, go to www.HaitianHustle.com. For more information about the Jesus in Haiti Ministries, visit www.JesusInHaiti.org.