Hit the Streets for Haiti raises money for health care, training

Project Piti Pami (3P) hosted its third annual Hit The Streets for Haiti run.

The Saturday, Sept. 28, run provided financial support to help 3P provide sustainable health care in Haiti through community education and training.

In total, 70 racers participated and 12 people volunteered. Project Piti Pami raised over $5000 from the event.

Tom Taugher, one of the founders of 3P, said that people’s preconceptions of Haiti are often inaccurate.

“I had the presumption, like many Americans may have, that Haiti was really just a desert wasteland that was extraordinarily poor with starving people just lining the streets in need,” Taugher said. “My first trip to Haiti really put this idea to rest.”

Taugher commended the people of Haiti who work hard every day to support their families.

“The people of Haiti are extraordinarily hard-working; everyone works in shops along the streets,” he said. “Whether they are selling water, building concrete buildings or running a barbershop, they are really just trying to make a living for themselves and their family.”

The 5K was made possible by a partnership between 3P founders and students from the on-campus ministry group Standing in the Gap.

Biochemistry sophomore Joshua Lang is a member of Standing
in the Gap and enjoyed being a part of an event that brought several organizations together through faith.

“(I’ve been) blessed by the ministries of Standing in the Gap, the Church in Drive and now 3P,” Lang said. “It’s so refreshing to be involved in God’s work and a strong community of believers.”

Becca Huizar, an exercise science senior, participated in the run after hearing 3P’s mission and learning more about the organization.

“I’ve recently learned of the work that 3P does, and I’m really impressed,” she said. “I greatly respect 3P’s approach to aid, which stresses sustainable development of systems and community leaders already present
in Haiti, as opposed to monetary donations of temporary mission work alone.”

Exercise science junior Hannah Balbaugh also participated in the race to support 3P.

“3P has taken the appropriate steps to fulfill God’s will by helping individuals experience his love in the form of making sure
basic needs are taken care of,” she said.

She said the event showed participants they can help worthy causes with small actions.

“As I was running (Saturday), I was thinking about how me running a simple three miles today can really make a difference in many others’ lives,” she said.

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