A Foreign Dispatch: Dead Sea, Red Sea, KFC?

The following excerpt comes from the Las Cruces Sun-News in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was originally published on March 26, 2012.

In one of my latest adventures, the first weekend in March I ran in a great race over desert landscapes running in the footsteps of Moses, T.E Lawrence, and some kids without any shoes. The race was a team competition starting at the southern tip of the Dead Sea to the shores of Aqaba - roughly 242 kilometers. Nine fellow Peace Corps volunteers and myself were able to finish the race in 22 hours. Going in I had a great regimen - for the past 3 years I have had absolutely no physical training.

I was coaxed into joining when we were two or three short of a 10-member team. The competition required an entrance fee and to be honest, it was more than I was willing to pay. Then some of the runners got creative in a way Peace Corps volunteers typically do, and convinced one of the race sponsors, KFC, to sponsor our team as well. That was my selling point - free shirts, hotel in Aqaba, and of course, KFC chicken galore. (The truth is I've only been to KFC once or twice, but after running in this race I plan on going more often when I'm back in Las Cruces).

We then decided to use the publicity of the race and our story to raise funds for a Peace Corps GLOW Camp (Girls Leading Our World). With yet more amazing financial support from KFC and friends and family we were able to raise more than $1,600. That includes at least three or four local residents of Las Cruces who helped support the cause! Thank you, Shukran, and muchas gracias!

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