Runners tackle 230-mile, seven-day ultra-marathon across Haiti to raise $200,000 to end poverty
Press Release – PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — February 18, 2017 — Team Tassy (www.teamtassy.org) is a nonprofit that accompanies families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified jobs. Today, the organization has started its third annual “Run Across Haiti” ultra-marathon to raise $200,000 for its cause.
Run Across Haiti features twenty-one incredible participants, from a Haitian Olympic hopeful to a cancer survivor to seasoned, professional triathletes. They will complete the equivalent of eight marathons in seven days, either as solo runners or in relay teams of three. The run will begin in the north, in Cap Haitien , and end in the beautiful southern tip of Haiti, Jacmel. The island nation is known for steep changes in elevation, ranging from sea level to over 4,500 ft. Over the course of the run, the participants will climb two different mountain ranges and average a marathon a day. They will endure a variety of conditions on the roads running through heavy traffic, markets, villages, mountains, and deserts.
“We love the vibrancy of Haiti’s landscape, culture, and people, and this run captures the true spirit of this country,” said Vivien Luk, Executive Director of Team Tassy. “We want to show to the rest of the world that Haiti is not a place to be feared or pitied and to raise the necessary funds to create dignified jobs for the families we serve.”
Among the runners is 25-year-old Olympic hopeful Wesley Sainval, who was born in Haiti and immigrated to Connecticut as a teen. Wesley has trained for the NYC Marathon and as part of the 2016 Haitian Olympic team before an injury slowed him down.
“After learning about Team Tassy and their Run Across Haiti, I was beyond inspired to join the cause. It’s a dream come true to have this opportunity to help Haiti through my love of running,” said Sainval. “Team Tassy is making real, impactful changes working alongside families and helping them to become economically sustainable.”
What sets Team Tassy apart is its individualized, micro-targeted approach to tackling poverty, one family at a time. Its mission is simple, yet clearly defined and actionable: to end poverty in one community by placing two heads of households into good, dignified jobs. This means preparing individuals for jobs and supporting their access to basic needs, medical care, education and continued professional development.
“Our approach to solving poverty is very personal — you can’t simply throw money at the problem and expect it to heal on its own,” said Ian Rosenberger, Founder and Board President of Team Tassy. “We celebrate the potential inherent in each and every individual by standing beside him or her, working to remove barriers to success, and providing necessary resources towards independence.”
For more information on Team Tassy and content posted throughout the race, please visit www.teamtassy.org, @teamtassy or www.facebook.com/TeamTassy/.
About Team Tassy
Team Tassy accompanies families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified jobs. While their vision seeks to make a global impact, they are currently focusing their efforts in Menelas, a community in Port-au-Prince. What sets them apart is their individualized, micro-targeted approach to tackling poverty one family at a time. Team Tassy believes in the power of work with a goal of placing two heads of households into a dignified job so they and their families can pull themselves out of poverty forever. In 2015, they created the Run Across Haiti, a 230-mile ultra-marathon to show that Haiti is not a place to be feared or to be pitied, and this year, their goal is to raise $200,000 to help fund their work. This ultra-marathon runs from the northern tip to the southern end of Haiti, and has featured a variety of incredible participants, from a Haitian Olympic hopeful to cancer survivors to seasoned and professional triathletes.
