Kash Dash - a reminder of our responsibility to Africa

Kash Dash for African Relief and all the good
work Canadian Doctors are doing with micro projects.

Kash Dash vivid reminder about African drought

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief hosts annual charity run

By terrance gavan - sept 2 10

The annual Kash Dash for African Relief turned lucky 13 last Saturday.

   The 10 K run – along with the 1 K fun run for kids - is organized by local physician, Dr. Steve Ferracuti with all proceeds going to Canadian Physicians for Air and Relief (CPAR).

   How to place cogent perspective on CPAR, and all of that good work they do in Eastern Africa?

   That’s a tough nut to crack, crunch and canoodle here in cottage country – surrounded by … All. This. Water. 

   Tougher yet, because we’d have to place ourselves in sandals - or even better barefoot - on a dry, dusty road in Uganda or Tanzania.

  And we’d have to pop up the heat just a bit from the 29 degrees C we had last Saturday, to an even 40 Celsius.

   And just for spits and giggles … let’s doff that sexy Hi-Dri gear, the Coppertone, the blister-repelling socks, and the $120 shoes.

   Then let’s pick up an empty three gallon jug at Todd’s Independent here in Haliburton.

   And?

   Well, we walk … to Minden.

   Take your time. This is not a race.

   Stop at a gas station on Highway 35.

   Fill up the three gallon jug with water. (30 pounds give or take.)

   Take a deep breath.

   Now, lug that sucker back to Haliburton.

   Phew. Tough slug.

   Okay. Stop. Take a sip or two – you’ve earned it.

   Well, that’s your morning.

   Ready to get the kids off to school?

   After that you can get down to the real work – managing the life and death task of caring for your 2-acre plot of sweet potatoes and your six goats.

   Take your time.

   You’ll be doing it all over again.

   Tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.

   And for as long as it takes to get a well, or an alternate water source to your village.

   You are a water walker. And you don’t get paid. Not one cent.

   Leo DiCaprio summed it up in the movie Blood Diamonds. “TIA.” This … Is Africa.

   An excerpt from the Huffington Post and writer Joseph Treaster places it in perspective.

   “Many people here and in other parts of the developing world do not have drinking water within easy reach,” writes Treaster. “The United Nations estimates that about a billion people are living like that. Some experts say the number is much higher. To get their water, many people spend hours walking to streams and lakes and ponds. When they have the money, they buy water. What they get is often loaded with bacteria and parasites. Sickness is routine. Death is not rare. Children suffer most.”

    Death. Not rare. T.I.A.

   And so it was good to see those happy young kids – 26 strong - running the 1 K Kash Dash last Saturday afternoon. Churning steps to cash for Africa.

   Good too, watching those adults – 77 plus - putting it on the line in the 10 K.

   They all ran last Saturday – in the withering heat – with Africa in mind.

   Visiting CPAR director of development Dwight Peters put a firm imprimatur on this year’s race with some poignant comments during the awards presentation following supper.

   “I was in Africa last year and we were visiting farms where we do work,” said Peters. “People haul water 5 or 6 kilometers each day and sometimes twice a day.”

   He added that it’s time consuming and forces water walkers to invest a lot of time that could better be spent in the care of their small plots and with the needs of their families.

   CPAR attempts to intervene with water, loans of goats and pigs for breeding, and other micro-sustainable projects. Small steps. Water walk - redux.

   He talked about Caroline, a woman who, with the help of a CPAR project, moved from a meager one acre plot several years ago to a thriving operation today. “Her (Caroline’s) farm was one acre and it wasn’t enough to feed her family,” said Peters. “Today her farm is seven acres and she has a surplus. And now she can take that money and send her daughter to school. Her husband will be finishing his high school. Small interventions like that and the training help people more than we can imagine.”

   He closed with a special nudge to the runners gathered at the Pinestone.

   “When they’re not hauling water they can spend more time in school or working,” said Peters. “All of this (Kash Dash) has an impact 10,000 miles away. Lucky 13 is certainly lucky for the people in eastern Africa. Here’s hoping for 13 more.”

   For Steve Ferracuti, this year’s dash was a little more challenging, it being the first year at the Pinestone after 12 seasons at the Wigamog – closed for renovations this summer.

   “I was actually worried whether we could put it on this year at all,” smiled Ferracuti. But he said that the staff at the Pinestone stepped up and in fact the track for the 10 K is almost identical because the Wigamog and the Pinestone are on neighboring properties.

   “We’ve run the race for 12 years out of Wigamog and we’re very happy with the folks at the Pinestone who have stepped up in a very big way,” said Ferracuti.

   Meanwhile, Highlands’ runners popped for some extraordinary times last weekend.

   Local wunderkind Allie Paul won the 1 K kids’ race with a 3:56 clocking. Blistering time in the blistering heat for the plucky young Haliburton runner; on a collision course with destiny?

   The genes are certainly there. Brother Drew Paul is a multi-task sports star at Hal High, with a penchant for sustainable development of his own, on the track and the ice. Drew cranked a 59:30 in his 10 K run, good enough for a 14^th overall placing.

   Other strong runners in the 1 K event included Alex Little, Sophie Longo, George Devolin, Corin Gervais, Sam Longo, Lucas Penney, Annika Brisbin and Molly Devolin.

   In the adult event, Blake Paton, JDH educator, was the first Highlander in, placing 8 in 44:38. Kevin Penney, another Hal local placed 10^th.  

   Kitchener’s Julie Wormald placed first overall in the women’s event. Rosemary Stochel placed second in the overall women’s standings.

   The story of the meet however had to be the shivering performance put in by a young Peterborough runner, Justin Jakeman from Peterborough.

   Jakeman, 17, is attending his cohort year at Thomas A Stewart Collegiate in the Pete and this was his first 10 K race.

   That inexperience was not in evidence last Saturday at the Pinestone.

   Jakeman busted the field with an outstanding run placing first overall with an incredible 35:36.8 run.

   He finished a full two minutes and 17 seconds ahead of his closed rival Tom Toth from Lakefield. Bernie Hogan who hails from Bancroft placed third in 40:06.

   Jakeman will be running cross country and track this year. Red Hawk coaches might be wise to paint a bull’s eye on this kid’ jersey. He’s a very, very talented runner.

   In the women’s event Hal High runner Kara Pogue popped in at 53:43 finishing first in the under 19 event. Locals Maddie Ferracuti and Meghan Bottum placed second (tied in the U-19) behind Pogue, who was 22^nd overall.

   Our local MP Barry Devolin proved no shrug himself. Devolin ran a measured pace and came in looking very relaxed and fresh, despite the heat, in 56:51.

   Devolin took some time after supper to welcome and congratulate all of the runners.

   He also invited all of the runners and anyone in the area to a 5K run in Lindsay on behalf of the United Way.  

   The race to support the United Way is slated for Sept 10 at the Lindsay Fairgrounds and will also include a 1-mile event for distantly challenged set.  Devolin says that entries are $30 bucks and include a long sleeved running shirt.

   As well, Air Canada has cranked in for the door prize of two tickets anywhere in North America – including Hawaii. So some incentive there to get out and support a good cause.

   See Barry’s website at barrydevolin.ca or phone (705-324-2400) for registration info.