Mighty Milers Help Raise Money For Haiti Relief

By: Lindsey Christ

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Students in Brooklyn took to the track to fundraise for Haitian earthquake relief, as a healthy way to aid a cause close to their hearts. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

The fourth- and fifth-graders from P.S. 269 in Park Slope, Brooklyn spent Thursday racing around a track for a cause. Half the school's students are of Haitian decent, and for weeks they had been collecting clothes, putting together hygiene kits and writing messages for the victims of the earthquake.

They also asked their friends and family for donations -- one dollar for every mile they run as part of the New York Road Runners' Mighty Milers program. All of that running added up to more than $2,000 and a really fun day.

"It's our very first Mighty Milers fitness fundraiser of this scope, and it's so great that the kids use their running, which helps their physical help, to then raise money, which helps other people," said Cliff Sperber of the New York Road Runners.

All of the runners' joy was in stark contrast to how the school community felt right after the January 12th earthquake.

"It affected us in a big way. The day after, we were devastated. Because as you know, so many of our children had families who had no idea who was alive, who was hurt. It was devastating," said P.S. 269 principal Phyllis Corbin. "Also, on our staff we had no answers. So we decided to do things to keep us helpful and hopeful and to involve the children, so they could have a voice in what we did."

"My mom is Haitian and some of our family members died, about seven of them, died in the earthquake," said student Brenda Albert.

"We have been very sad, watching the news, and we see people dying, kids our age sleeping on the floor, and for the grace of God we have beds to sleep in," said student Edmund Blain.

While the students raised money to help those in Haiti, they also got in shape.

"With childhood obesity rampant throughout New York City, 43 percent of our elementary school students overweight or obese, these kids are developing a healthy lifestyle by running on a daily basis at school," said Sperber. "It's a cornerstone for living long, healthy, productive lives."

The Mighty Milers program is in 250 schools across the city, but this event, at the brand new YMCA sports complex at the Park Slope Armory, was about much more than running.