Miles For Missions 5K Race To Benefit Trips To Guatemala
The second annual Miles for Missions 5K Race/Walk to support mission work in Guatemala will take place on Sunday, August 29 at Side Cut Metropark.
The race will benefit SewHope an organization founded by Anne and Randy Ruch, who have led several short-term medical and humanitarian mission teams to Guatemala.
The Ruchs helped develop the organization after becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of real change in that region, Randy explained.
“We had the good fortune of finding a group of like-minded Christians from the Toledo area who helped found SewHope in 2007,” he said.
The organization works in an area of northern Guatemala known as the Petén and is committed to serving communities that are in extreme poverty.
“Some of the world’s highest levels of malnutrition, child and maternal mortality, illiteracy and other problems associated with poverty exist in this region,” Randy said.
SewHope’s efforts are focused on improving the physical, spiritual and mental health of those communities with work that involves medical care, education, sanitation, nutrition, microenterprise and spiritual development.
“Guatemala is where God has led us,” Randy said. “The people we serve live constantly on the edge of disease, starvation and death.”
The small one-room houses made of sticks, thatch, mud and tin are prone to a variety of infections and illnesses.
“Their income is less than $2.00 per person per day. They do not have enough food, a reliable source of clean water, toilets or latrines, or the chance for a basic education,” he said.
In addition, the government does little to help them because it “is rife with graft and corruption.”
Miles for Mission will take place on Sunday, August 29 at Side Cut Metropark.
The race and walk begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Riverside shelter house next to the playground.
To register, participants may visit www.sewhope.org or sign up at the event.
For additional information, contact Randy Ruch at (419) 410-2359 or randall.ruch@utoledo.edu.
After The Fact To Perform Lake Township Benefit
Maumee High School juniors Megan Gabel and Kristin Gramza will rock out with their band After the Fact on Sunday, August 29 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Calm After the Storm benefit at 727 Lime City Rd. in Rossford.
The event runs from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. and features live bands, food and beer. Admission is $5.00 and all proceeds go to the Lake Township police and fire associations for tornado relief efforts. Band members include (from left) Tim Brock, Gabel, Gramza, Nick Linthicum, Chris Behrendt and Eric Haidet. PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA GRAMZA
Libby Servais Returns To Maumee For Special Show
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
There’s no place like home for Maumee native and Broadway performer Libby Servais, who will return to town Saturday, September 11 for a special performance at the Maumee High School Performing Arts Center.
Servais, who is wrapping up a seven-month run in the San Francisco version of the musical Wicked, where she has performed as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, looks forward to getting back to her roots.
“This is a good opportunity to sing for people at home,” the 24-year-old said during a phone interview from her apartment in San Francisco.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the MHS Select Singers, who will open the show.
During the concert, titled “There’s No Place Like Home,” Servais will sing show tunes and songs that are reflective of her life, as well as her favorite Wicked songs including “Popular.”
Drummer Joseph Woods and pianist Daniel Boyle will accompany her.
“It will be all of the music I love to sing,” she said.
Before moving to San Francisco, Servais spent 11 months as an understudy for the national tour of Wicked, during which she traveled and performed in numerous cities across the country.
Between songs, Servais plans to share stories about her life experiences as a theater performer.
“It’s going to be casual and very laid back,” she said.
Event organizer and MHS choir director Amy Gorman said the performance would not only entertain but educate as well.
“Those who are thinking of going on in performing arts will learn from the road she has traveled – how she got there, how she lives and the kind of stresses are involved,” Gorman said.
Gorman feels a special connection with Servais, her former student.
“What I love so much about Libby is that she is real simple and real down home,” Gorman said.
After leaving San Francisco on September 6, the day after the final performance, Servais will spend a week in Maumee before moving back to New York to look for work.
“I’ve had a good run out here, so September 5 is going to be a sad day. I hope to be in a show again some day. I’m going to talk to agents and start auditioning again,” she said.
“There’s No Place Like Home,” featuring Libby Servais, will take place Saturday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the MHS Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and seniors. Advance tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 1. To purchase tickets, call Karen Karsten at (419) 893-8778.
Tickets may also be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office beginning at 6:15 p.m. the night of the show.
These are sample articles that ran in The Mirror Newspaper.
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