Thank you and congratulations to all of you runners and walkers who participated in the 5th Annual Grace Race!! Thank you for your contributions to the orphanage and vocational training center in Naivasha Kenya. It’s only with your support that we can complete this project. Thanks once again to all the race-day volunteers for their help and enthusiasm. We are also grateful for the many local companies who provided donations in the form of cash, refreshments, and raffle prizes. These all helped to make the event a success.

We had superb weather for the race this year, and had a record turnout, including 24 who participated in the 1st annual 5K walk event.

The 5-mile run results are posted at: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/08/ma/Oct18_GraceR_set1.shtml

Both male and female records in the 5-mile run were shattered! 1st and 2nd overall male and female finishers were awarded cash prizes. Congratulations to Patrick Tarpy of Providence RI, who ran a time of 25:30 to finish first overall. Titus Mutinda of Lowell ran a great race to finish second in 26:07, also breaking the record set in 2005. Julie Spolidoro of Duxbury finished first for the women, with a record time of 29:40 (breaking the record of 30:45 set by Edie Perkins in 2005). Kristen Iworsky of Brookline ran well to take second place with a time of 31:00.

Please “stay tuned” on this web site for photographs from the race. We will also publish the total amount of money raised this year after all of the pledge sheet contributions have been collected. If you ran or walked and did not have a chance to collect pledges, it’s not too late! Please print out a pledge sheet (see link on this page) and ask friends/neighbors/family/coworkers to contribute. The deadline is December 1st. In this way you can help us raise even more money for this unique project that helps AIDS orphans in Africa.

Thanks again everyone, please tell your friends about the Grace Race, and mark your calendars for the 6th Annual Grace Race on October 17th 2009!

- John Feehrer, for the Grace Race Team

First, a big thank you to all runners and walkers who have pre-registered. Many who have participated in past years will be coming again and that is awesome! We just want to remind you each to use the pledge sheet. It’s not required of course, but we encourage you to consider it. You can download the sheet on the web site (Step 3 listed on “The Race” page). By getting family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to sponsor you in the run or walk, you can help us raise even more money for the orphanage and vocational training center. The deadline for turning in all donations from sponsors is December 1st, so there is plenty of time for you to gather a list of sponsors. One year we had a runner use her pledge sheet to raise over $500.00! Just think how much money could be raised for the orphans if every runner and walker raised that much …
Second, to all of you reading this who are still trying to decide whether to participate: please do join us, and bring some friends along.

Thanks and see you on the 18th!

John Feehrer, for the Grace Race Team

Hi everyone,

The 5th Annual Grace Race is just over 6 weeks away! Thanks to those who have already registered online or by mailing in registrations. Please remember to use the pledge sheet - get your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to each pledge a few dollars (or a larger amount). This is how we raise more money for the orphanage and vocational training center. We’re trying to reach our goal of raising $50K this year.

We’ve been leaving applications at other local road races and will continue to do that in the next few weeks. If you’re running another race and want to promote the Grace Race in this way, please contact me (jfeehrer@comcast.net).

Runners and walkers, we hope you’re taking advantage of this gorgeous stretch of weather we’re having to get in shape. We still are in need of more helpers on race day, so if you’re able to volunteer a few hours of your time on October 18th please email me (jfeehrer@comcast.net) or Kenny (kennny.mitchell@hotmail.com).

Thanks and see you in October.

John Feehrer

The Grace family orphans home is a non profit making Ministry of street kids and orphans. It’s Goal is to give street kids and Orphans in Naivasha the Choices, Skills and Opportunities to make a better life for themselves.  

Our aim is to make these children joyous, hopeful, Healthy and Fruitful as they receive education, Vocational skills and gifts to serve God, mankind and witness about Christ doings. We just started it in faith and the Church of Naivasha was donating for the upkeep of the children and it was very hard for the Church to meet every need of these children.

We Thank God for Grace Community Church who came in and became our sponsor on this ministry. The Grace Community Church has helped us to sponsor 65 street and orphans children from Nursery school to Secondary School. One of the orphans has finished form Four and College and is now working as a trained computerized Secretary.  We also thank Nashoba Church which has also joined hand in hand with Grace Community Church to make this Ministry succeed.  Through the help of this two Churches in State we have now build a home to accommodate 14 children who are very needy, we have bought a five acre garden, drilled a borehole and have a Generator and a Pump for cultivating the garden for easier feeding of the children. We thank God for the far we have gone.

We are still trusting God for the unacquired Project in our vision of getting the facilities so that we can provide the children acquire gainful vocational, trades and skills for their self-reliance in future. The project include fencing the land and  construction of  clinic and dormitories, classes, vocational training workshops, dinning hall and administration offices among other essential buildings for the orphans welfare. Vocational training workshop will include art & Craft, Masonry, Tailoring, Welding, Secretarial, Hair saloon, Farming activities etc. Our prayers to the well wishers who wish to support the Grace community church race to help these needy children can be sent through Grace Community Church and it will help us accomplish our vision. We are praying for you.

For more information contact our website www.gracerace.org

Thanks and May God blesses you.

In Christ

 Bishop KimemiaFor Grace Family Ministry. 

Hi everyone,

Summer is here and it’s time to think about getting in shape for the Grace Race. The Grace Race is less than 4 months away! Remember we have a 5K walk this year, as well as the traditional 5-mile run.  If you’re not able to run5 miles, consider the walk instead. Walk it with your family - kids of all ages are welcome to join. You can still gather pledges if you do the walk, to help us raise money for the orphanage and vocational training center. Pledge sheets are posted on our web site.

**** We also need helpers for race day, October 18th ! ****

It takes a small army to pull off a successful road race and since we’re planning for a bigger turnout this year we need an even larger crew of volunteers than in past years. If you or someone you know is able to help on the course please let me know.  We also need people to help at the registration table.  If you sign up to help you’ll receive as a gift a special “Grace Race Staff” T-shirt.

We are doing some things to promote the event and the cause. We had a table at the African Festival in Lowell last weekend (June 21st), where we spoke with many folks interested in helping and participating,  and are going to have a table at the Lowell Folk Festival the weekend of July 25th. We’ll be handing out Grace Race wrist bands, applications, and pledge sheets and recruiting some helpers there as well.  If you happen to be at the Lowell Folk Festival on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, look for our table in the parking lot of St. Anne’s Church (8 Kirk St. in downtown Lowell) and stop by to say hello!

That’s it for now. Stay tuned to this page, and have a wonderful summer.

John Feehrer, for the Grace Race Team

jfeehrer@comcast.net / 978-692-1587

I am Virginia. I schooled in freehold primary school I was educated by our first born sister in primary because my mother died when I was four years old and my father died when I was in class six.

When I completed my primary level, my brother was by then a little financial stable, and he took me to secondary school. When I got to form two my brother got sick and he was unable to support me anymore. In 2003 is when the orphanage came into my life giving me hope once more. Bishop Kimemia continued to pay my fees until I got sponsorship.

When the sponsors came in they helped the orphanage to pay my fees until I was able to go to college. In College I studied Secretarial course which helped me to be employed and earn a living. Being the first orphan to be helped I have seen all advantages of being in the orphanage and I pray that God will bless them abundantly.  

Virginiah, Naivasha Kenya

I remember when I first made the decision to sponsor a child. I knew it involved making regular financial payments to the organization so that this anonymous child could attend school but that was all I knew. I was comforted because I knew personally the organization that accepted the money to support these children. I had a picture of the child I sponsored and a hand written letter to the anonymous supporter. I would look at this picture from time to time and think about what life might be like for her and how God had brought us together.  Time moved forward and I continued to make my sponsor payments not thinking much about it. However, one day I was inspired to write to this orphan. To my surprise I received a compassionate letter back. We continued to write and through the Grace of God I had an opportunity to meet this young woman when I traveled to Kenya. Today I sponsor three Kenyan children and the rewards that I have received from my role as their sponsor is unexplainable. God continues to bless me in my relationship with these children. I am able to see the progress of their growing maturity. Trusting that the Father is watching over them. I would encourage anyone thinking about sponsoring to continue to pray and trust that the Lord is inspiring you to make a difference in the life of a child.

I used to run lots of races and sorta retired, but when my friend John started directing this race, it brought me out 4 years in a row. It is a fun race for a good cause and has one of the best award ceremonies going with lots of raffles. There are plenty of refreshments too.

I come from the neighborhood in Chelmsford, so the course has special meaning to me. For the rest of you, it is an accurate and fast 5-mile course. There is little traffic along the route, and few hills.

It would be really great to get more of you out running this race who care about the world community. Keyna is going through some very hard times. The goal of this race is to raise money to build a school in that war torn country. But, I swear to God — sorry about that John — this would be a great race to run even if it were just for running, or a local cause.

This is the fifth year of the Grace Race and will also be my fifth time running.  It is a great 5 mile course, mostly flat but with a few hills to keep things interesting.  This is one of the few races I hang out afterwards to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the hosts as well as an exciting raffle where almost everyone is a winner.  Whether you are an experienced runner or new to the racing scene, you should add the Grace Race to your calendar.  And my personal challenge this year is to beat the race director to the finish line!

I have had the joy or participating in each of the first four annual Grace Race events. After participating as a runner, a walker, a volunteer, and acting member of the staff, I can’t say enough about this little road race that is held each October.

The Grace Race has a primary goal of working to build an orphanage for 60 street kids across the globe in Kenya, but its goal has never kept the race from working on improving the event each year. I can say that every year, the race team works diligently to improve the experience and I find it to be one of, if not the most enjoyable and intimate races I have run. I haven’t run a hundred races (yet), but between the post- race raffle, the good food, the good course, and the smiles on people faces… no matter what the weather, my spirit is elevated much more than my heart rate after the 5- mile journey. The fact that this race raises more than $10,000 per year based on the field size is pretty sweet!

I can’t wait to see the day when I step out on Route 129 for the gun to go off and I see 500 runners ready to go! When a “little” race has a lot of heart, I only see this race reaching its goals to reach the needs of poeple across any part of this crazy world.

Feel free to join me for a great morning run or walk… rain, wind, snow, cold, or shine…I’ll be there!

Kenny