WINONA LAKE - A donor will match up to $10,000 raised by the HSMS Haiti Trail Trek Saturday, July 27.
Lindsay Philippe, founder and executive director of HSMS Haiti, a 501(c)3, said on Friday that the school in Haiti, where she normally lives full time, has been operating for the past seven years. HSMS stands for Heart Soul Mind Strength, from Bible verse Mark 12.30.
The money raised by the Trail Trek will go toward the school start-up costs next year. Registration for the run is $25, with the run starting at 10 a.m. at Cloud9 in Winona Lake. Participants are asked to be there by 9:30 a.m. so they can register if they haven’t already. Registration online is at runsignup.com.
“The very cool part is that we have a donor who is matching up to $10,000, so there’s a potential to get $20,000 toward the school, which would be really amazing,” she said.
Last year, there was close to 100 participants, and Philippe would like to see more than that run this year.
If people don’t want to come, but still want to support the cause, they can donate at hsmshaiti.org under the “donate now” link and “Trail Trek.”
“I’ve been in Haiti for 12 years,” she said, and she’s been at the school for seven years. “It’s an amazing high-level education, bilingual, English and French, Christian school.”
HSMS Haiti also does prison and children’s ministry. They’re just launching a program where they will fix wells and start being able to give clean water. She said they have a really generous donor who is helping with the wells.