HOULTON, Maine — A picturesque day Saturday, May 12, greeted more than 120 runners and walkers for the fifth annual Strong Tower Orphanage 5K Love Run/Walk.
All proceeds from the 5-kilometer walk/run benefit children at Strong Tower Haiti, a home for orphaned girls in Caracol, Haiti, that is supported by the Military Street Baptist Church in Houlton.
Through their work with Strong Tower Haiti, Military Street Baptist Church (along with First United Methodist Church in Missouri) currently supports 19 girls, a project they’ve been tackling since 2011.
“This run is one of our major fundraisers throughout the year,” said Sonya Swallow, one of the organizers of the race. “This money goes toward helping with sponsorship (of the orphans). The money also helps with the upkeep of the building and educational services. This orphanage will be their forever home, should they not be adopted. We want them to be the future of Haiti.”
In 2011, Military Street Baptist Church in Houlton and First United Methodist Church of Sedalia, Missouri, joined together with the Church of the Redeemer of Caracol, Haiti, to form the 501(c)3 non-profit called Strong Tower Orphanage.
Strong Tower opened its first orphan home in Haiti in June of 2013 and gave family to 10 orphaned little girls. In February of this year, the organization was able to bring into the home eight more little girls. Currently, there are 18 girls between the ages of 6 and 12 who call Strong Tower home. There is still room for two more girls and they will be able to come into care very soon.
Since 2013, the mission and its supporters have provided a small kitchen behind the orphan home, a storage building with an administration office as well as a shade garden and a chicken coop for growing vegetables and raising chickens for use at Strong Tower. The girls are growing and thriving and have become a family, according to the organization.
The overall race winner in the fundraiser on May 12 was Matt Savage, with a time of 21 minutes, 28 seconds. The overall female winner was Teanne Ewings at 22:09.
Age group winners were as follows: Males 15 and younger — 1, Daniel Ross, 22:05 and 2, Walker Oliver, 24:28; Males 16-29 — 1, Daniel Swallow, 40:26; Males 30-39 — 1, Kurt Kafferlin, 22:26 and 2, Jared Drake, 24:02; Males 40-49 — 1, Kirk Ward, 22:00 and 2, Daniel Gould, 25:10; and Males 50-and-older — 1, Paul Sherman, 23:01 and 2, Evan Lewis, 26:33.
Females 15 and younger — 1, Teagan Ewings, 22:50 and 2, Emmalyne Drake, 24:29. Females 16-29 — 1, Sam Swallow, 40:27; Females 30-39 — 1, Morgan Drake, 25:12 and 2, Sharon Rominelli, 27:52; Females 40-49 — 1, Shel Sherman, 24:13 and 2, Lee Rae Oliver, 25:54; and Females 50-and-older — 1, Angie Ewings, 24:26 and 2, Catherine Ross, 31:04.
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- More than 100 runners and walkers turned out Saturday, May 12, for the fifth annual Strong Tower Orphanage 5K Love Run/Walk. (Joseph Cyr)
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- Sonya Swallow, top right, gives an overview about the orphanage in Caracol, Haiti, Saturday, May 12, before the start of the fifth annual Strong Tower Orphanage 5K Love Run/Walk in Houlton. (Joseph Cyr)
