Local racers participate in a charity race for Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Glenn Rowley)
Racers braved the cold on Jan. 25 to raise money for typhoon disaster relief in the Philippines.
Jaron Gallagher, one of the 'Run 4 Philippines' event organizers, said the idea for the race came from his brother, who served an LDS mission in the area most affected by Typhoon Haiyan's destruction.
'It's humbling to see how many people have come out to support a community that's so far away,' Gallagher said. 'Hopefully the majority of the funds we raise today come from donations. This is really just the beginning of our efforts to help the Philippines' continuing recovery from Haiyan.'
Gallagher also said that all registration costs will go directly to the Philippines.
As part of the registration process, the more than 600 runners had the option of participating in either a 5K or 10K race down Provo's Center Street.
Roger Mendez, a 25-year-old business marketing major at UVU, ran the 5K race and said he decided to participate after seeing the event publicized around Provo by Sen. Mike Lee.
'Seeing someone like Mike Lee talk about it, I really wanted to get involved with the community and come help out,' Mendez said. 'This is something that's bigger than any of us. I didn't come to get first; I came out to help make a difference.'
Following the race, participants gathered on Center Street for a concert sponsored by Gigg.com featuring local artists Paul and the South Paws, and Nate Noble.
To further contribute to the cause, Noble recorded a new benefit single, 'Peace, Be Still,' now available for download on iTunes and his Bandcamp page.
'I wrote the song on my mission and based it on the hymn 'Master, the Tempest is Raging,'' Noble said. 'After Haiyan, I wanted to record it and dedicate it to the Philippines, though it's really applicable to anyone battling the storms of life.'
Noble said he was grateful to contribute his music and voice to the event.
'It's really great to see everyone come together for such a worthy cause,' he said. 'It's easy to feel like it's not relevant to your life when it's something happening on the other side of the world, but everyone can do something small to help.'
For more information, visit run4philippines.com.