AFIA Rice Run to Benefit MRSA

With the endorsement of the Michigan Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports and the Michigan Fitness Foundation, Andrews Filipino International Association (AFIA) of Andrews University has partnered with the MRSA Survivors Network for the 2014 Rice Run: a 5K run that aims to raise awareness of MRSA, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, by encouraging the community to get involved in physical activity.

AFIA is a club on the campus of Andrews University that promotes Filipino culture, values, and traditions to the students of the campus and the people of the community. AFIA aims to create a diverse network of connections and relationships, bringing together anyone who may be interested in Filipino culture through a variety of events and programs. In addition to providing memorable experiences through fun events, AFIA also strives to inspire the spirit of love and support by bringing awareness to any struggles that some people in our community may be facing.

This year AFIA has collaborated with the MRSA Survivors Network in hopes of raising awareness and funds for this great organization. MRSA is an acronym for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a type of bacterium that causes serious infections, prompting more deaths than HIV. The MRSA Survivors Network is “the global leader and voice in awareness, prevention, support, and advocacy” of MRSA. To learn more about the organization, you may visit: http://www.mrsasurvivors.org/about.

The 2014 5K Rice Run will take place on 5 October 2014 at 8 AM in St. Joseph, Michigan, starting at Margaret B. Upton Aboretum. Registration is now live at http://alumni.andrews.edu/events/afia-5k-run/, costing $25 for general registration and $20 for student registration. Participants can run or walk the 5K in St. Joseph, assured that they are creating awareness and raising funds for a great cause while participating in a quality physical activity event through the Michigan Governor’s Council’s Pure Michigan FITness Series endorsement program. “Pure Michigan FITness events promote physical activity for individuals and communities while providing a fun way for us all to get moving,” says Mike Maisner, Vice President of Active Communities. Runners will also be eligible to enter the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Run Lottery. For more information about the Governor’s Council’s endorsement program, you may visit: www.michiganfitness.org/pure-michigan-fitness-series.

“Through this event, we hope to succeed in our goal of generating awareness and raising funds for the MRSA Survivors Network,” says the 2014-2015 officers of AFIA. “But we also want to succeed in our goal of creating a diverse network of connections and relationships with our fellow students and with those in our community, further amplifying the spirit of love and support.” For more information about our sponsors for the event or AFIA, visit: www.andrews.edu/go/afia.