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Come
Support Runners for Burma at this Sunday SF Marathon (July 25)
Funds are to
support Internally displaced refugees in Burma
20,000
runners will be participating in the San Francisco Marathon (26 miles) this
Sunday and many of them are to promote various causes.
This year again, BADA is helping the Burma Humanitarian Mission (BHM) in
organizing the Run For Burma program as part of the San Francisco Marathon
for awareness and fundraiser for internally displaced Refugees in Burma.
BADA members, supporters and teens, 20 out of 31 runners in the Run
for Burma team, will
be running representing BADA that day. Many teens are joining this year
fund raising effort. Three are running half marathon and the rest are doing 5K (3 miles)
group run/walk with a Free Burma banner to raise awareness.
1. Come visit and meet with the runners for Burma at the Burma booth at
the race
start/finish line --- near Embarcadero and Mission St. (Just north of Bay
Bridge).
The Burma booth
will be open from 7:00 am until 1:30 pm that Sunday. So, come by as your
schedule permits.
2. You can cheer them and, here is the race map and the start times for the all races.
3. We are organizing a 5k (3.1 miles) run/walk with a Free Burma Banner to raise awareness about Burma. All 5K runners to gather at Burma booth at 7 am and proceed to raise starting point ( close by ) and start the race at 7:45 am and end at 9:00 am (the latest).
You can still join the 5k Group run/walk. The cost to register is $30.
4. Donate below to support BADA runners; funds are to help internally displaced people inside Burma:
Han Yin
Zin Htike
Thunuder Aung
Pwintphyu Nanda
Pam San
Samantha Thaw
Thazin Naing
Jessice Yeh
Jennifer Yeh
Suu Than
Michael Than
Khin Htwe
Danielle Forestier
Ohmar Khine
San Lin
Nay Lin
Maung Tun
Htwe Win
Come raise awareness and funds for
Burma!
Run for Burma on July 25 at SF Marathon
1. BHM will
provide you with a training guide tailored for the event you wish to do.
2. BHM will provide you
A Run for Burma team T-shirt (if you commit to raise $200 or more)
A free Brooks running jacket if you raise $1,000 or more
Weekly training newsletters
A fundraising website and a host of support
3. If you run/walk for free! If you raise $250 or more, the Event will
refund your entry fee!
4. Fundraising help. BHM has a number of strategies that have worked well
and will share them with you. The primary one that has worked well is asking
friends, family and associates to sponsor you for $1, $2, $3, $4, $5 a
mile...or a set donation of $10, $20, $50 or more for the event you
run. They will provide you a draft letter/email as well as a card that
explains about Burma Humanitarian Mission and why what they do is important.
Asking for money for a charity takes a slice of humility. It's never easy.
But last year, BHM runners were gently pleased with the response. Whether
someone donated or not...every runner was seen in a positive light...of
doing something (morally) good...for others in a desparate condition.
So you know: 100% of the individual funds you raise go to the BHM mission or
BADA. BHM Board members pay for all operating, transportation and other
costs out of our pocket. The distance you will run...and the sponsors you
bring to the effort...will save lives that day.
Background on BHM and why what they do is important
Burma Humanitarian Mission is an all volunteer organization that provides
medicine and helps train the backpack medics who operate in eastern Burma to
help the Karen and other ethnic minorities suffering the brutality of the
SPDC. If you have not seen their website, please visit it (http://www.burmamission.org/).
There's lots of good information on it. But in summary, what BHM does is
important because they are appauled by what the Burmese junta has done to
the Karen in eastern Burma and decided to act in a positive, non-violent
manner.
For the past 4 decades, the junta has waged a war against the Karen. In the
last decade, more than 3,200 villages have been destroyed. Half a million
Karen are on the run in eastern Burma. Men and boys are shot randomly. Women
and girls are raped as a form of intimidation. Crops are burnt in the
fields. Thousands are forced to serve as labors, carrying supplies. Many
forced labors are used to clear minefields by walking through them. As a
result of these conditions, 1 in 5 Karen children die before the age of 5. 1
in 12 Karen mothers dies as a result of childbirth. Malaria is the leading
killer and 12% of the population suffers from it at any given time.
To mitigate this suffering, BHM acts. They facilitate training ethnic Karen
to serve as backpack medics and outfit them with medicines. This past year,
BHM was responsible for training 40% of all new backpack medics. They also
outfited each medic team with ~40,000 doses of medicine for a year's work in
Burma. Each year, they buy roughly half a million doses of medicine. Each $1
you raise will buy ~40 doses of medicine (yes, you read that right). $5
will buy the anti-malarial treatment for a pregnant woman, saving 2 lives.
If you wish to share all or parts of this email with others, please do. If
you know someone who wants to run the 5k, half marathon, progressive
marathon or the full marathon, they would be welcomed to join the team!.
Come out and join us for a fun, but important way to show support for the
peoples of Burma!
If you would like to know more or want to sign up...please contact the Run
for Burma team captain, Mike, at sfm@burmamission.org or 571.216.9885