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RJ RAISES $23.5K FOR INTERNATIONAL SAMARITAN
On a beautiful and crisp October 16th morning, 125 students, faculty, staff and parents walked or ran five kilometers around campus as part of socially-distanced teams to raise funds to support students in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Honduras, and Jamaica through International Samaritan. Through the sponsorship of more than 300 donors, teams raised more than $23,500 or enough to provide 79 tablets to International Samaritan scholars. See a story from RJ Media about the 5K and 'read more' to learn more about the work of and our partnership with International Samaritan.
International Samaritan began in 1994 when a Jesuit priest and a group of students from St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio came across the horrific conditions of people living near a garbage dump in Guatemala City and stopped to ask how they could help. Since 1994, they have expanded their work to support similar communities all around the globe and to help end this cycle of poverty. Through their program they sponsor more than 700 students and families, making sure they have the money they need for basic necessities so that they can send their children to school.
For many years, Regis Jesuit has sent our students to serve with the families International Samaritan supports. COVID-19 limited our ability to send a delegation this past summer, and the pandemic has presented numerous challenges to families across the globe. With the closing of schools in developing countries and the transition to remote learning for many, education has suddenly become inaccessible to our poorest sisters and brothers who cannot afford to purchase the technology they need to continue their education.
Seeking ways to continue our support of these students, Christina Ortiz, Director of Ignatian Service here at RJ, looked for an opportunity to partner with International Samaritan in a way that would align with current health and safety protocols. The 5K, which was held throughout the month of October at schools across the country, provided a wonderful option. In her remarks at the closing ceremony for the race, Ortiz stated:
"As a Catholic institution, we believe our primary purpose on this earth is to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable members of our human community. A central principle in Catholic Social Teaching is the Preferential Option for the Poor which insists that we must measure the success and morality of economies, cultures and institutions by how the poorest and most vulnerable fare within those systems. So, I want to say thank you for answering the call to be Men and Women with and for Others. We have become all too aware of what we will be deprived of this year; as a community, we are perpetually saddened by the loss of human interaction, one-on-one instruction, and celebratory events such as school dances and athletic competitions. I commend you though for remembering that even in those hardships we are privileged enough to be able to gather here today, to continue our education, and, hopefully, to never have to worry about our own livelihoods."
Even though the race is over, donations are still being accepted. If you would like to support the RJ teams and help International Samaritan reach their $140K goal for this event, you can still give.
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For many years, Regis Jesuit has sent our students to serve with the families International Samaritan supports. COVID-19 limited our ability to send a delegation this past summer, and the pandemic has presented numerous challenges to families across the globe. With the closing of schools in developing countries and the transition to remote learning for many, education has suddenly become inaccessible to our poorest sisters and brothers who cannot afford to purchase the technology they need to continue their education.
Seeking ways to continue our support of these students, Christina Ortiz, Director of Ignatian Service here at RJ, looked for an opportunity to partner with International Samaritan in a way that would align with current health and safety protocols. The 5K, which was held throughout the month of October at schools across the country, provided a wonderful option. In her remarks at the closing ceremony for the race, Ortiz stated:
"As a Catholic institution, we believe our primary purpose on this earth is to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable members of our human community. A central principle in Catholic Social Teaching is the Preferential Option for the Poor which insists that we must measure the success and morality of economies, cultures and institutions by how the poorest and most vulnerable fare within those systems. So, I want to say thank you for answering the call to be Men and Women with and for Others. We have become all too aware of what we will be deprived of this year; as a community, we are perpetually saddened by the loss of human interaction, one-on-one instruction, and celebratory events such as school dances and athletic competitions. I commend you though for remembering that even in those hardships we are privileged enough to be able to gather here today, to continue our education, and, hopefully, to never have to worry about our own livelihoods."
Even though the race is over, donations are still being accepted. If you would like to support the RJ teams and help International Samaritan reach their $140K goal for this event, you can still give.
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