AFIA Hosted Rice Run

A virtual 5k from Oct. 4–18

The Andrews Filipino International Association (AFIA), a student club on the campus of Andrews University, hosted its annual Rice Run from Oct. 4–18, 2020. Available across the entire U.S. and Canada, the virtual 5k is a fundraising event to benefit Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Doctors Without Borders is an international aid organization committed to providing medical care for people who have been afflicted by war, disaster or disease. The group believes that everyone should have access to healthcare regardless of race, age or gender. Much of their work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors, who contribute to more than 85 percent of Doctors Without Borders’ total operating finances. All proceeds from the Rice Run will go to supporting the organization.

Interested individuals can visit auafia.org/ricerun to register before Oct. 7. Cost of registration is $20 plus a $2 booking fee. The run can then be completed at any point from Oct. 4–18.

Time and the distance run should be recorded with a tracking tool, such as a smart watch, phone app, or UI on a treadmill. Once the run has been completed, participants should upload both a post-run selfie and a picture of their run tracker to the finisher’s gallery on AFIA’s registration website. Once runners sign up, they will receive an email with details on how to complete the run and submit results. All participants will be awarded with a medal. If a runner is not a resident of Berrien Springs, Michigan, their medal can be sent by mail. First place male and female runners for both the 5k and endurance runs will receive a Balikbayan club hoodie.

Alec Bofetiado, AFIA external vice president and coordinator for the event, states, “Donating to an organization is great. Please do it. But if you get people to both donate and run for a cause, their level of individual investment for that organization will be elevated. One day in the future, people will see the medal we sent them and think, ‘Wow, I remember the blood, sweat and tears I exerted when running the Rice Run. I wonder how Doctors Without Borders is doing?’”

So far, runners from locations including Michigan, Virginia, California and Canada have signed up for the Rice Run, and AFIA hopes to see the list grow. For more information, contact afia.au@gmail.com.

AFIA seeks to ensure a more well-informed and educated community through meaningful conversations and events open to anyone’s curiosity about the Filipino experience. The club hopes to share Filipino culture and promote causes they are passionate about, all while having fun through various initiatives.