Click HERE to see pictures from a recent trip to Kenya where childrens CROCS and adult running shoes were distributed.

Triathletes for Africa is now officially Triathletes for Hope.

Visit our new website at www.triforhope.org

More soon.

  

International Rescue Committee  

 I love my new shoes.  Thank you! – Yonatan Araya, Eritrea   

   

  Thank you for the shoes!  

- Abdi Moti, Ethiopia

Thank you very, very much for sending me these new shoes!

- Burqa Moti, Ethiopia

 

 

    Thank you guys so much for the shoes.  May God bless you.

-Alhaji Sasay, Sierra Leone

  

        Saleyman Hussein from Somalia enjoys his new shoes.

I just got off the phone with principal Laci Coppins. The kids at Hunters Bend Elementary School (“The Hound Dogs”) collected 750 pair of shoes for us this week. Thank you Principal Coppins and kids!

That brings our total since July to 1500 pair of shoes collected.

We had another great weekend at my hometown race – The Old Hickory Lake Triathlon. Team Magic enjoyed yet another sold out race. Combined with a delivery of shoes from Atlanta we had over 200 pair delivered to the tent on Saturday.

We’ve already packed 100 pair of those for a shipment to Jamaica in early October.

Friends,

Last night I loaded nearly 500 pair of your running shoes onto a 40×8 foot container that will depart for the Peru earthquake victims on Sunday from Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood. The shoes will go to people who had little to nothing even before the disaster. The ladies who were working at the trailer, familiar with the part of Peru, said that these will be the first “nice” shoes most of these people have ever had. They were giddy just imagining the looks on the people’s faces. There’s a lot of rebuilding to be done and proper footwear will make the task a bit less uncomfortable.

Fellowship raised an impressive sum of money that was spent on tents and blankets for the people. The trailers arrival will be huge for these poor people whose meager possessions are now completely gone.

Congratulations everyone on making a difference in the world.

ps. Weird story: when I got in the truck to drive home after loading the shoes onto the container I turned on the radio. The song that was playing on Lightning 100 was “Hope in a Hopeless World” by Widespread Panic. Coincidence? Nah. I’m not too tough to admit shedding a tear while thanking God.

–

Chad Nikazy

Founder / Director

Triathletes For Africa / Triathletes for Hope

Triathletes for Africa / Triathletes for Hope collected over 100 pair of shoes at the 20th annual Mtn. Lakes Triathlon. Thanks to Team TFA/TFH members Chad and Karen Nikazy and Michael and Deb Moebes for working the drop off table.

Our current total collected since mid July is 350 pair. Shoes will go soon to earthquake victims in Peru and to Living Hope Centre in Capetown South Africa.

 

 Triathletes for Africa / Triathletes for Hope is partnering with the International Rescue Committee’s Atlanta resettlement office. We’ll be providing running shoes for a number of refugees who have been resettled in the Atlanta area. Most of our first recipients will be teenage boys from countries including Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Rwanda.

Look for more information about this program here soon. We should have pictures of  and the names of these young men here soon.

 

We’re up to 158 pair of shoes now. Most of those are adult sizes, so we’ll be at the TriHeat (Hendersonville Endurance Athletic Team) / Sumner County YMCA kids triathlon this Saturday morning. The race is for ages 7-14. It begins at 7:00am. Triathletes for Africa will be on site to collect childrens sized shoes (athletic shoes / CROCS/ CROC knockoffs) before, during, and after the event.

UPDATE: We collected 40+ pair of shoes at this event bringing our total number to almost 200 pair! Thank you kids and ACME Multisports.

 

 After a great first weekend at The Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon we’re looking forward to yet another sold out Team Magic event this weekend at The Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon.

UPDATE: We collected 54 more pair of great shoes at Cedars of Lebanon.

Please bring your clean “retired” running shoes to donate to those who are less fortunate. We collected over 100 pair of nice shoes in Chattanooga; we still need more. We especially want some kids sizes for the orphanages we plan to support with shoes (running shoes, CROCS, knock off CROCS – especially appreciated).

Wild Oats Market in Coolsprings is donating Naked Juice for our donors. Drop your shoes off and we’ll hand ya a cold nutritious drink made from all natural ingredients.

  

 Don’t forget to buy a tee shirt at the tent as well. All proceeds go to assisting in the cleaning and shipping of our shoes.

We’ll have the tent open for donation before, during, and after the race (note we wont’ be set up for packet pickup this time).