Road2Hope (November 6 & 7, 2010)

What an amazing weekend! Great weather, 4,500 participants, many event sponsors and a few hundred volunteers - net funds raised are split between City Kidz, a Hamilton children's ministry and the Joy and Hope of Haiti continuing school construction efforts in the north of Haiti. Here are some pictures:

Art and Cathy Zavitz at Joy & Hope of Haiti table
   

Selling popcorn and candy floss

Kids 1km race

On Sunday, I ran my first 1/2 marathon in 1 hour, 57 minutes and 29 seconds:

A Remembrance Day “I’ll Always Remember”.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to share a few words and then say grace for some of Canada’s heroes.  What an honour!  This was the eighth annual dinner put on at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Hamilton.  All of the food and beverages were donated.  All of the services including food preparation, serving and clean up were done by volunteers.  You’ll notice  in one of the pictures the men and women are wearing white shirts and red bow ties (all volunteers).  Also a high school from Hamilton had their youth volunteering.  What an experience for them to meet, greet and serve our heroes.  Before asking God’s blessing on the food, this is part of what I shared from an author unknown.  

"It's the soldier, not the reporter, who gives you the freedom of the press.  It's the soldier, not the poet, who gives you the freedom of speech.  It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who allows you to demonstrate.  It's the soldier who salutes the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag".  He closed with "Lord hold our troops in Your loving hands.  Protect them as they protect us.  Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need".