ST. BRIDGET'S ANNUAL STAMPEDE

Our annual 5K Walk/Run is the one event where EVERYONE is welcome to participate and/or work on together.  We as a community work to put this day  on to help our sister parish Namitembo in Malawi, Africa. 

It all began a little over 8 years ago when our former pastor Father Harold Quigg was flying home from Ireland.  He met a fellow priest Father Owen who is originally from Scotland but who now has dedicated his life to the people and community of Namitembo.  Father Owen and Father Quigg became fast friends and our own Father Quigg came home to us with an incredible story of a beautiful impoverished people who were in desperate need and who desperately wanted to teach their youth.  Although the government would provide teachers the people of Namitembo had to provide the housing and classrooms.  Prior to our support the typical classroom would hold up to 200 students sitting on dirt floors or on windowsills listening to the one or two teachers available, without books, desks, paper or pencils.  They came each and everyday in the hopes of learning and being able to better themselves. 

By creating the Elephant Stampede we have  generated  enough funds to build new classrooms, housing for the teachers, a youth center and we have provided enough funds so that these same hard working people were also able to restore their church, and provide a water system.  They make their own bricks and they do their own work. 

Our original commitment was for 5 years, $10,000 per year.  We have surpassed our goals financially, but there is still need.  Not only in continuing to build the first high school, but now particularly due to the drought and famine we are providing funds for food.  

Our event itself enables anyone and everyone to help in whatever way they can, whether it is in registering our runners and walkers, providing the delicious barbecue after the walk/run, handing out water to thirsty participants, setting up the event and of course cleaning up after the event.  We even have doctors and nurses on hand to handle all emergencies.  This event is possible only because of the generosity of our supporters who financially help us get the T-shirts, provide the buns for the barbecue,  and get the brochures and registration forms written and printed and of course those who make monetary donations.  The youth of our parish get sponsorship for their run/walk, they  help in the event, and some now have even gone to Namitembo to visit to  personally see what our funds have accomplished.  This one event is truly one of biggest community building events that we have for all ages.