Launching Run for Roots!

Roots of Hope kicked off the inaugural run for its Run for Roots campaign on Saturday, June 11th, 2011 in New York City’s Central Park. Carmen Pelaez, Ana Pelaez, Natalia Martinez and Elena Castañeda powered through the New York Road Runner’s Mini 10k to raise awareness about Roots of Hope and its mission of empowering Cuban youth. The run was coupled with a grassroots, online fundraising drive, conducted during the weeks leading up to the race.

Run for Roots is a new campaign designed to bring a sense of purpose to the athletic events out members and supporters often participate in. It is also an opportunity to rally others to support our commitment to Roots of Hope and bring awareness to the plight of youth in Cuba.

In the coming months, we will continue to select and run races in several cities throughout the US, as well as refine the program further. Run for Roots will culminate in a running of the ING Miami Half Marathon on January 29, 2012. Roots of Hope is registered as a participating charity and participants will be able to select to run under our name!

If you think you have a race that would be an awesome opportunity for Run for Roots in your city or would like to join us for the half marathon in Miami, please let us know! Any questions, great ideas, etc - please reach out to Elena (elena@raicesdeesperanza.org) or Natalia (natalia@raicesdeesperanza.org)!