Many Thanks for the Donations

I would like to say thank you to everyone that donated money to the Kgwale le Mollo Foundation (KLM Foundation). The KLM Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to helping young and talented South Africans gain access to better education. Students are go through an application process and those that are selected receive a scholarship (including books, tuition, lodging, a small stipend, transport costs) to a top rated educational institution.

In order to fundraise for the organization there is a yearly race called Long Tom which is one of the toughest races in South Africa. Well at least for the people that are running the 56k portion of it. For the people running the 21k, not so difficult. For the people running the 21k we were transported to our starting point while the 56k runners started where the busses picked us up. I remember riding up through the mountains and saying to my friend who looks like Bono, “Damn these are some crazy hills, it’s making me tired, and we’re riding in a bus!” His reply, “Yeah the route we are driving up is the route that the 56k runners have to run up. DAMN!!!!

So we got bussed up to the top of the mountain and finally started our half marathon while the 56k ultra marathon runners suffered in pure agony. So once again this 21k mostly downhill would be really easy. Unless you’re really fat and out of shape despite trying to do some running everyday and are suffering from a high ankle sprain that you have no idea how you got in the first place, then it can be somewhat of a pain. Seriously, you just wake up in the morning and bam, ankle, pain, hurts, can’t support your weight and you walk around the community with people doing fake limps as you walk past them. Then after the race you cannot even move your body. It is just so sore, even though you walked the whole thing. And then you try to hike some 40km over the next 2 days and at one point you are hiking up a hill somewhere around km 32 and you tell everyone you want to stop and take a picture of the majestic scenery (truly magnificent, I wish I could post pictures. Hiking through the mountains in what is the world’s largest artificial forest. The landscapes were amazingly beautiful, and there were natural pools of water that you could go swimming in. It was a lot of fun.) and that everyone can go ahead, but the real reason you stopped is because you are doubled over puking because you are so out of shape.

But I digress. I was one of the runners (more like walkers, finishing time: 3 hours 32 minutes, go baby go) raising money and people donated $510 in my name to the cause. This was a huge success. The total amount of money that was raised by Peace Corps Volunteers running Long Tom was around $17,000 enough money to provide 5 scholarships to promising and aspiring South African students. So without your support these students would not be provided with such an amazing opportunity. So once again, many thanks to you all!