By Sara Ballenger
St. Joseph School Physical Education teacher Ellen Clark did not know much about the country of Zimbabwe before her son Will went to teach English there in 1997. Will Clark volunteered to teach in the town of Murombedcifor one year. His parents visited him for two life-changing weeks.
Zimbabwe is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 64.24 percent of its 11.3 million people making less than $2 a day, according to the World Fact Book. Zimbabwe also has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world, with 1,500,000 people infected. One quarter of those are adults, leaving 900,000 children orphaned, according to Time Magazine.
“In Murombedci, AIDS is in the background at all times. People have to go on with their lives, and almost forget about it,” Will Clark said. “It was not until a close friend of mine died from AIDS in Zimbabwe that I realized how many people have it. It could be anyone.”
The Clarks saw the death and decline during their visit and wanted to help.
“I heard and read about the orphans and thought, what can we do as people in Los Altos that is compassionate?” Ellen Clark said. “What is going to help our kids here in Los Altos, as well as the kids in Zimbabwe?”
Ellen Clark was the organizer of the “Willy’s Race,” a benefit held for St. William’s School for 15 years, and is an avid runner. A cross-country race to raise funds for Zimbabwe’s orphans seemed only natural to her and her eighth grade class who has volunteered to help organize and work the race.
“I think it is really important for kids to help kids,” Ellen Clark said. “Our kids feel a sense of purpose, and feel connected. They really want to help.”
The Second Annual St. Joseph Cross-Country Run for Zimbabwe Orphans is how they plan to do just that.
The run is scheduled for March 25, at St. Joseph School, 1120 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View. The entry fee is $5. The run begins at 12:30 a.m. with a race for pre-kindergarteners and kindergartners, and continues with races for first through eighth grades for boys and girls, ending with a race for high schoolers and adults at 4:30 p.m.
“This event is for everybody, for all abilities. It is for the community to participate in, from 3 to 103,” Ellen Clark said.
Last year’s race raised $5,263 for the Makumbi Children’s Home. This year Clark and her eighth-grade class have set the goal of raising over $5,000 for the children’s home, thanks to the generous donations of ribbons, oranges and water for the athletes. Printed programs will be sold at the event for $2, and event T-shirts for $10. The cost of the programs and the T-shirts was also donated.
“A lot of people contribute directly to the fund without even running the race,” said Will Clark. “Every cent is going to the orphanage to help the kids. “
Several local elite high school runners are donating their time to the race, Eric Chaves, a senior at St. Francis, Ruth Graham, a sophomore at Gunn, and Yacanex Posadas, a junior at St. Lawrence Academy.
Perhaps, Posadas who is a member of the track team coached by Will Clark, sums it up best by saying, “It feels good to help out.”
For more information, call Ellen Clark at 948-8029.
