Greetings from Winnie, TX and May Charity Reveal

Run Stats:
Day: 155
Miles Completed: 573.3
Miles to San Diego: 1526.7
Avg Miles/Day: 3.7
Marathons Completed: 22
Shoes: Skora Fit/Tempo
Playlist Favs: Shuffle
Guest Runners: None

Bible Verse of the Day: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5: 14-16 (NLT)

Run Reflections: It's been an interesting running week. It started with some unplanned down time due to a summer cold and ended with a draining run in the afternoon heat. Think I'm going to need to take water with me from this point forward, even on the shorter runs. Speaking of weather, it's a pretty nice Saturday morning in Winnie, TX, the town I will virtually arrive in this afternoon. It's currently 73 degrees with light rain showers, with a planned high of 80. Today I'm going to share a little about this small town and also provide some info on the May 2016 charity - the A21 campaign.

Winnie, TX: According to wikipedia, "Winnie is s a located in Chambers County and, as of the 2010 census, had a population of 3,254. The town plat was filed in 1895 by the Gulf and Inter-state Railway officials. The town was named after Fox Winnie, a railroad contractor who worked for the line. The Winnie and Loan Improvement Company attempted to market small lots of land, but due to poor sales, the company was dissolved in 1911. In 1941 an oilfield was discovered nearby, leading the way for the oil businessman Glenn H. McCarthy to establish a gas plant just east of the town. This development, along with the construction of Interstate 10 would lead to a population growth. The East Chambers County Consolidated School District was established in 1931." I have included a picture of the Winnie volunteer fire department building.

You might think that not much goes on a small town like Winnie. Wikipedia reports that Winnie hosts a flea market called Larry's Old Time Trade Days on the first weekend of every month that is a cultural attraction for much of Southeast Texas. Winnie is the also the host of the Texas Rice Festival (TRF), which occurs during the first weekend of October each year to appreciate the rice farmers of Southeast Texas. According the the festival's website, www.texasricefestival.com, "The event dates back to 1968 when the St. Louis Catholic Church held a bazaar/festival to celebrate the rice harvest. It was so successful, the idea was formed to make it a community celebration." The first rice festival "began as a one day affair in 1970 and now has over 7 days of activities." The event is kicked off on the Wednesday before the 1st weekend in October with a barbecue cook-off. The festival itself includes a variety of events including live bands, singers, parades, an old timer's breakfast, horse and livestock shows, a Gospel jubilee and a Beauty Pageant. Review of the web site highlights the importance of the beauty pageant indicating that the festival now has contests for every age group including "The Diaper Derby, Baby Contest, Miss LaPetite, Little Rice King, Little Miss Sweetheart, Junior Rice Queen, Lady in Waiting, and Senior Rice Queen."

Winnie might be a small town but it clearly seems to have its own personality and, through events like the rice festival, embraces and highlights the best of who they are as a community.

May Charity Reveal: During the month of May, I was able to run 106.7 miles so, in keeping with this project, we will donate $106.70 to this month's charity - the A21 campaign. Christian leader/speaker/author Christine Caine and her husband Nick founded A21 in 2008 as an anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to abolishing injustice in the 21st century. According to their web site, www.a21.org, human trafficking is "the illegal trade of human beings, mainly for the purposes of forced labor and sex trafficking. As the world's fastest growing criminal industry, it affects every nation across the globe." They report that there are an estimated 27 million men, women and children in bondage across the world today. A21's comprehensive approach includes raising awareness, preventing future trafficking, taking legal action, and providing rehabilitation services to survivors. Their goal is to use the combined strategies of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership to eradicate human trafficking from the world.

They are an extremely dedicated and activity organization that directly and intentionally wades into some of the most dangerous and horrific areas and aspects of the world to try to make a difference in the lives of others. One particular area of focus for them recently has been in support of the Syrian refugees as they are vulnerable, easy targets for traffickers as they seek to cross borders and find safety. There is a lot of additional information on their organization, the human trafficking problem and ways that you can support them on their web site - www.a21.org.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to check them out and consider making a donation too. Additional information on Christine Caine can be found on her web site - www.christinecaine.com. I've also included a web link (below) to a you tube video of a presentation she gave at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago the past Mother's Day. In this 29 minute video, you'll hear her story and about some of the things A21 is doing. You'll also see her passion and heart for God and others.

Christine Caine Passion 2016 - Mother’s Day - Christine Caine 2016

Hope you all have a great week. Let me know if any local folks are interested in joining me for a run sometime.

God Bless,

Pat