On the morning of September 13, it was crisp outside, with a light breeze - the perfect weather for a race. This year marked the first time the Leading Edge Take Heart event started and finished at Lake Mirror. In past years, it had been held at Lake Hollingsworth. A total of 446 runners lined up at the start line that morning, either to participate in the newly-introduced 10K event or the annual 5K race. The individual reasons that contestants chose to take part in the run varied, yet many served for a single cause: fundraising to support orphans and widows in Kenya.
"The funds that we raise today are for our education entrepreneurship projects that we have in Kenya," Delta Ryan, the founder of Take Heart Africa, told the 5K runners. "Every step that we take is making a difference in a lot of people's lives."
Ryan, who visited an African village one year for a medical mission trip for her past job as a physician assistant, recognized that opportunities for young girls and women to develop a career were limited in the region. After her return home, she developed the nonprofit Take Heart Africa to help empower those in the region struggling to grow their career. The store, located at 248 N Kentucky Ave in downtown Lakeland, is dedicated to the sale of fair trade products, items handcrafted by international artisans who work in safe conditions and are paid fair wages. All of its proceeds are directed to finance the education of kids in need in Kenya. This goal is accentuated by their tagline: "Shop local. Impact global."
The Leading Edge Take Heart race takes place annually, to raise money for academic scholarships for children in Kenya. The goal this year was to raise $100,000; as of the morning of the event, 88% of the goal had been achieved.
The premier sponsors of the event were Meteor Education, a business that creates furniture for instructional-based institutions, and Ridgeview Global Studies Academy, a Polk-County-based school that focuses on international subjects. Other significant sponsors included J. Burns Pizza Shop and State Farm.
Runners also had the opportunity to contribute to the fundraiser. The leading sponsored individual was Jolian Rios, who raised $2,250, and the top team was Ridgeview Racers, who earned $6,155 for the cause. Runners could also choose to purchase crafted jewelry from Take Heart's vendor, offer personal donations, sign up for a raffle, or participate in a silent auction to directly support Take Heart's mission.
Beyond fundraising purposes, the race offered recreational runners an opportunity to explore a beautiful course. Those who participated in the 10K ran the path around Lakeland's three most popular Downtown lakes - Lake Mirror, where the course begins and ends, Lake Morton, and Lake Hollingsworth, each offering its own unique scenery. Mirror, which received its name from the reflectivity of the water, is a perfect location for viewing Downtown Lakeland's skyline. Lake Morton, known for its famous mute swans descended from those gifted from Queen Elizabeth II, is home to a vast array of bird species and other wildlife. Lastly, Hollingsworth features architecture by the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright. All three of these lakes are some of Lakeland's most defining natural landmarks, each beautiful in their own way. 5K runners followed a similar course, excluding the path around Lake Hollingsworth.
At the end of the course were vendors and live music. There was a vast array of outside businesses attending the run, including Kamp Media Management, which took pictures for the event, and Fleet Feet, a personalized shoe and apparel fitting company for runners and walkers.Complimentary food and refreshments were generously provided to the runners by Woodman Life and Parlor Doughnuts. Participants could visit these vendors and other tables while listening to the live cover country/southern rock band, Joey Kirkland Music.
The help of various volunteers and organizations created a lovely experience for runners on this cool Florida morning. The annual run, livened by a new race and location, was both a fun event for participants and a charitable fundraiser that reflects evident kindness thriving among Lakelanders. Community is not just local, because impact is not confined to the region that one lives in. The 10K/5K and our city's support of Take Heart reflects the power that we have to lift up our global community.
