Ten Students Help Children Who Have Lost Limbs
By running marathon on April 12
On April 12, 2015, ten Andrews University students will participate in the “Running So They Can Stand” marathon, to raise money for children in need of orthopedic care in developing countries. The students have partnered with “A Leg To Stand On” (ALTSO), an organization that has provided free prosthetic limbs, orthotic devices, mobility aids, corrective surgery and rehabilitative care to at least 12,804 children who have lost limbs. Whether by traumatic accident, or if the children are suffering from congenital limb disabilities, ALTSO has worked to serve this need worldwide. Recognizing that they too can help, Andrews students have partnered with ALTSO by agreeing to run in either a half-marathon (13.1 miles), or a full-marathon (26.2 miles), at the Ohio River Road Runners Club.
ALTSO has provided care for children in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They have assisted families who cannot afford the care they need in order to be self-sufficient. The organization has sponsored adolescents and juveniles who may have suffered from diseases, birth defects or war injuries. However, they are incapable to do that work without your support.
In the words of Jennifer Calhoun, one of the marathon runners, “Physical deformities…have limited their mobility to distances that can be hopped, crawled or carried. It doesn’t have to be this way forever! Which is why we’re using our legs to run for change… literally.”
Andrews University has partnered with ALTSO because they are looking for financial sponsors. Support the runners by making a donation today; even the smallest donation helps. A $25 donation provides a clubfoot brace, $100 an orthotic device, $250 a prosthetic limb, and $500 provides corrective surgery. All donations are tax deductible, but donations must be made by April 1. The goal is to reach $5,000 by race day. Make your donation at altso.org/aumarathon.
