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Heifer International Canada
Heifer Canada is proud to be a charity partner of the 2013 BMO Vancouver Marathon. Heifer works with communities to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. By providing families with a hand-up, not a hand out, we empower them to turn lives of poverty into self-reliance and hope.
In 2008, Francois Jean Renel received a beautiful chocolate brown cow from Heifer International.
“I named her Patience because I have a lot of patience with her,” he said through a translator.
Francois gave his cow good water to drink and pasture to graze and soon she became pregnant and gave him a beautiful calf. Before long he was able to milk Patience. Every 15 days he is paid 1,500 Gourdes ($37.50) for the milk, money which he used to complete his secondary education.
Francois lives in the small community of Fort-Royal in the Petit Goave region of Haiti. There is no secondary school in the community, and when he was younger his father did not have funds to pay for him to finish his school in the nearby city. But with the milk Patience provided, Francois was able to return to school and now, at age 30, he has a certificate which will allow him to go to university.
In time, it is his dream that the milk from Patience and her offspring will earn Francois enough money to attend university. But it is not just his life that Patience has changed. In addition to giving away Patience’s first offspring, every day Francois gives his neighbors a little of the milk he collects.
“If I didn’t have Patience I couldn’t help other people,” he said. “So Patience helps me to help other people.”
When a family in Haiti has a cow, there’s a glass of rich milk for each child to drink before heading off to school each morning. Better yet, every gift multiplies, as a healthy cow can produce a calf every year, every gift is passed on and eventually helps an entire community—and entire country—move from poverty to self-reliance. Now that’s a gift worth giving.
By participating in the BMO Vancouver Marathon, you will help others in Canada and around the world like Francois Jean Renel. Help us to end poverty and hunger in a sustainable way. Visit www.heifercanada.org to learn more about our projects.
Be a Charity Runner for Heifer International Canada
Run and raise funds for Heifer International Canada and enjoy an exciting RUN4HOPE running package!
- FREE race registration
- FREE training clinic with the Running Room
- RUN4HOPE tech training shirt
- RUN4HOPE express line package pick up at the expo
- RUN4HOPE express line gear check at the start line
- RUN4HOPE express line gear pick up at the finish line
- RUN4HOPE start line warm up tent
As a Charity Runner, you commit to raising a minimum of $1000 dollars for Heifer International Canada, and will receive fundraising tools and support directly from the charity to help make your fundraising a success. Take your running to another level by making a big impact for our community!
Learn more here
Become a Charity Runner today