Submitted photoParticipants of the 2017 Run for Hope at Bonita Lakes.

 

Attention runners and walkers (competitive or just for fun)!

Your presence is requested at Bonita Lakes Nov. 10 for the 18th Annual Run for Hope.

A major fundraiser for Meridian’s Hope Village for Children, a permanent refuge for abused and abandoned children, proceeds from the event help provide “the extras” for the facility’s children, said Kim Walters, a member of the Hope Village Guild.

“This includes birthday parties, senior portraits, equipment for sporting events (such as cleats and cheerleader uniforms), field trips and vacations,” Walters said.

The Guild supports the board of directors and staff of Hope Village for Children in accomplishing their mission statement through volunteer and fundraising activities. The Run for Hope is the Guild’s only major fundraiser.

Kim Monsour, who has assisted with the run since its inception, will serve as race director. The event will feature four events: a 10K trail fun, a 5K road race, a 2-mile walk; and a 1-mile fun run. Races start at 8 a.m.

For even more race fun, groups of friends, offices, churches and schools are encouraged to enter the Run for Hope Group Challenge. Groups with a minimum of 15 members will receive a discount on their registration fee, as well as the opportunity to win the group if they have the most participants.

The registration fee for each event is: 10K trail run, $20; 5K run, $20; 2-mile walk, $18; and fun run, $18. Register in person at Anderson Health and Fitness Center (2000 15th St.) or online at www.southernracetiming.com Registration ends at 7:45 a.m. on race day.

For more information about the Run for Hope, call race director Kim Monsour at 601-934-2851.

About Hope Village

(From www.hopevillagems.org)

 

In 1998, Meridian native and Emmy Award-winning actress Sela Ward visited a local emergency shelter and was profoundly moved by the children she met and disturbed by their stories. The children were separated from their siblings and had experienced many moves since first taken into custody by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Ward and her family continued to visit the shelter each time she returned to her hometown and each time she became more determined that something must be done.

In early 2000, Sela and her husband Howard Sherman recruited local community leaders to join them in their campaign to improve the lives of foster children in Mississippi. A new board of directors was formed and Hope Village was born. Thirty acres in the heart of Meridian had been used to serve children for more than 100 years as the Masonic Children’s Home. This property was no longer needed for its original purpose and was an ideal location to house foster children and to create a new vision for their lives.

Sela and Howard began the process of making the purchase of this property a reality. With the help of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the enormous generosity of our community, the property was secured. The Riley Foundation provided the necessary funds to renovate and upgrade the property to make it a warm and inviting home for children.

At that time, the Meridian community housed foster children in multiple locations. The incorporation of all current services was the first step in opening Hope Village for Children. The East Mississippi Children’s Shelter (Peavey House) was an emergency shelter for children birth through 12 years of age. This facility moved onto Hope Village’s new campus in August 2001. Lauderdale County had also established two group homes for teenagers. Hilltop House for Girls and Hilltop House for Boys relocated in January 2002, and Hope Village for Children was officially open for business.