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- Category: Past Issues
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Fund-raiser
Scenes from last year's Roots of Development bike ride and walk for Haiti. Courtesy photo.
STORRS --- On Sept. 19 Roots of Development, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping communities in rural Haiti manage and sustain their own development, will hold their Third Annual Bike Ride and Walk for Haiti event at E O Smith High School .
E O Smith seniors, Alexis Deslauries and Erika Kuzara are helping Roots of Development organize The Third Annual Bike Ride and Walk for Haiti. Registration begins at 7 a.m.
The event will feature 40-mile and 20-mile bike rides, a 4.5-mile children’s ride, and a 5-mile walk. For every $20 raised, participants will receive one coupon. After raising $100 or more, participants will be eligible for possible give-a-ways such as iPods, flip cameras, a flat screen TV, digital cameras, and other items. The event will also include refreshments, a sag and safety wagon, music, maps, free massages and rest stops: complete with water, fruit and granola bars.
Roots of Development plans to raise $20,000 to fund start-up costs of a community business in Gran Sous, Haiti. Funds from this year’s event will establish a community-run concrete block-making business that will create jobs in the local community and provide their local development partner, APDAG, with revenue to finance future development projects.
In the past, the Bike Ride and Walk for Haiti event has raised enough money to complete the construction of eight new homes for families in need, and the building of a tool rental facility and community meeting space.
Sponsors include: Tolland Bicycle, CNC Software, Willington Pizza, Friendly’s, Rockville Bank, Banner Water, Hair Trendz, Zlotnick Construction, Ski 93 Trips, Kohl’s, Whole Foods, ServePro and Apricot Blossom.
Participants can register for the event through Roots’ page with Citizen Effect by going to www.rootsride.org.
Questions: Call 860-798-0037.