Thursday, September 10, 2009

Running for ANF



Melissa will be running her first marathon in October. She is combining the love of running and her passion to help the world by setting 2 goals:

1. Cross the finish line at the Chicago Marathon.
2. Raise enough money to build a home for a family in Nicaragua.

She thought the fundraising part would be the hardest. But today, with still about a month to go, she has already exceeded her goal!

Inspired by the actor Edward Norton, who is also running a marathon while raising money, Melissa decided to see if she would be successful. And, okay, she’s not Edward Norton, but hey, you don’t have to be a celebrity to do this, right?



“My goal is to raise $2,620.00. I chose that number because I am embarking in a 26.2 mile journey. If I can get 262 people to donate $10.00 my fundraising target will be met. I could also get 100 people to donate $26.20. Every little bit counts, and every little bit will help!”

And every little bit is counting! People have been donating $10, $200, and everything in between.

So far she has raised $2,914.00 and many many fans.

Good luck on October 11th, Meli! We all wish you the greatest run of your life.

We hope you, our reader, will be inspired by her journey and use FirstGiving to fundraise for a good cause like ANF.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

An unforgettable trip to RAAN

Last week, I took a trip to the Bonanza and Siuna, RAAN, in central Nicaragua. Full of turbulent airplane rides, pesky mosquitoes, dirt floors, and contaminated water, the trip will be a hard one to forget.


The purpose of the trip was to inaugurate two schools that were donated to the community in Bonanza by the Coca-Cola Foundation. With the funds donated by Coca-Cola, ANF implemented the project and did the on-the-ground work. The adventurers on the trip were: two representatives from Coca-Cola's Costa Rica office, two representatives from ANF (myself included), and a representative from the Ministry of Education. In regard to fulfilling its purpose, the trip was a great success. The inaugural event was wonderful, which the children enjoyed immensely, and the new classrooms and sanitary units looked absolutely amazing. It was definitely a job well done by everyone involved.


But, on a personal level, the trip meant a lot more than just inaugurating those two schools. Bathing with water that was not known to be clean, sleeping in a house with questionable security, and fighting different sized bugs throughout the night was an experience that drove home many of the things I work with on a day-to-day basis from the comfort of my office.


Over the course of those two days, I had a thought that kept nagging at me: "At the end of this adventure, I get to go home - a very comfortable and safe home. But the inhabitants of these communities don't. This is their home. This isn't an 'adventure' for them - it's regular, day-to-day life. And it's HARD."


Now that I'm back in the office, sitting behind my desk, fighting for those impoverished communities and their struggling inhabitants from so far away, I try to remember how it felt to be unsure if the water I was drinking was clean, for one's health to constantly be at risk. I try to remember what it's like for those communities, to struggle through each day.


And I hope that every person who can will do something to help. So, help by supporting ANF today.