Orbis Ireland calls for volunteers to take part in the Great Ethiopian Run 2011 ORBIS Ireland today launched its annual call for volunteers to join the group of Irish participants in this years Great Ethiopian Run, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 27th. To date ORBIS has brought over 150 participants to Addis Ababa and the aim is to bring a bigger squad of runners in 2011 as ORBIS strives to raise even more money in the battle against trachoma.
Taking place in Addis Ababa, the world’s third highest capital, the Great Ethiopian Run is a 10km race taking place at 10,000ft above sea level. Members of the ORBIS team will take their place on the start line alongside over 30,000 competitors, including Olympic Gold medallist, distance running legend and Ethiopian national hero Haille Gebreselassie. On the back of the success of last year’s ORBIS runners, one of which, Niall Sherlock, finished as the top European in the race, it is hoped that this year’s group will perform just as strongly. Each participant is asked to raise €3,000 for ORBIS Ireland before embarking on the trip, and in the past few years a wide ranging number of charitable initiatives have taken place in order to raise the much needed funds. This is the 4th year that ORBIS Ireland will bring a team to Ethiopia and due to the generosity, not to mention stamina and endurance of all those who have previously taken part in the race, over €300,000 has been raised for the vital work of saving the sight of thousands of people in some of the poorest regions of southern Ethiopia. Over a third of children in Ethiopia are affected by Trachoma, a blinding yet completely preventable eye disease. All funds raised go towards ORBIS Ireland’s stated goal of eliminating this blinding disease, and restoring sight to the most rural villages in Ethiopia by the end of 2015. To find out more about this incredible journey call Diane Weatherup on +353-1-293-3060 or email info@orbisireland.ie. Full details can be found on www.orbisireland.ie ORBIS Ireland is part of ORBIS International – a nonprofit global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness in the world’s most poverty stricken regions. Over the last 26 years a staggering 6.8 million people in 86 different countries have had their sight saved or restored as a result of our work.