Haile Gebrselassie plans to raise 1 million Birr for two local charities

Addis Ababa – World Marathon record holder and Ethiopia’s supreme athlete, Haile Gebrselassie is planning to raise 1,000,000 Birr ($62,500 US) during the Great Ethiopian Run, which will be held here on November 21, 2010. The fund is to be donated to Mary Joy and Abebech Gobena,  two reputable charities nominated by UNICEF.

The Great Ethiopian Run is Africa’s largest racing event, and attracted 33,000 runners last year. That number is expected to hit the 35,000-mark this year. 

In 2009 Great Ethiopian Run raised more than 600,000 Birr for charity, more than twice the total raised in 2008 (250,000 birr). 

Mary Joy
Mary Joy is involved in supporting children, women, and families and other under privileged community groups through integrated development programs. These programs focus on capacity building and encourage the participation of beneficiaries so that their livelihoods are improved and that they learn how to deal with issues such as HIV/AIDS. To learn more about Mary Joy’s activities visit www.maryjoy.org. 

Abebech Gobena
Abebech Gobena is a provider of institutional care and home-based support for orphans and destitute children, offering skills-training programs for self reliance for the youth and supporting other community development initiatives. For more information visit  www.agohelma.org.et .