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Anthony Edwards Attends Clinton Global Initiative
"ER" Star Runs the ING New York City Marathon to Build Children’s Hospital in Kenya
Anthony Edwards Attends Clinton Global Initiative
"ER" Star Runs the ING New York City Marathon to Build Children’s Hospital in Kenya
Published 09-26-09
Submitted by Shoe4Africa
Shoe4Africa Chairman Anthony Edwards attended the CGI Exchange at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to raise awareness for Shoe4Africa's cornerstone project; building Kenya's first public children's hospital.
Edwards will participate in the ING New York City Marathon 2009 on Sunday, November 1. He will lead a team of runners whose participation will benefit Shoe4Africa, and raise funds for the project. Founded by Toby Tanser, Shoe4Africa seeks "empowerment through sports and education, creating unique health initiatives, and promoting AIDS awareness."
"What started as an effort to get shoes to underprivileged communities has blossomed into a movement," said Edwards. "We have found that creating running events in Africa is a profound way to empower people. Now we are running in New York to help build the largest children's hospital in Africa. It's simple, we will run the 26.2 miles, people can sponsor us, and together we affect a big change in children's health in Africa!"
The organization, which was founded in 1995, uses 100% of donations to build the largest, and only public, children's hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, shoes donated to the program are utilized by thousands of Kenyan athletes, many of whom have gone on to win marathons all over the world. To date, hundreds of thousands of shoes have been donated to the nonprofit.
To connect with the running team and to donate to Shoe4Africa, go to: www.shoe4africa.org
About Shoe4Africa
The inspiring Toby Tanser, who started sending shoes to African athletes after living in Kenya for seven months, founded Shoe4Africa. The first athlete he gave shoes to ended up winning the LA marathon. Tanser then set up a non-profit organization and sponsored races in Africa, giving shoes away as prizes. The events became wildly popular and an excellent outlet for AIDS awareness, testing and education. The Women-only races became a source to educate and empower African women to take steps to improve their lives. It started with one man donating an old pair of sneakers. Twelve years later it has become a movement bettering the lives of thousands of Africans. http://shoe4africa.org
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have already improved the lives of 200 million people in 150 countries. CGI will hold its Fifth Annual Meeting September 22-25, 2009, in New York City. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
About the ING New York City Marathon
Celebrating its 40th running in 2009, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races and the premier event of New York Road Runners, drawing more than 100,000 applicants annually. Since the inception of the official charity program in 2006, more than 13,600 runners have raised nearly $50 million. As any one of the nearly 788,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.
