Dear Nica Times:
Granada will host the first annual 5-kilometer Fun Run for its new Vida Joven (Young Life) youth club on Saturday, April 25th. The race will start at Parque Central at 7 a.m., and there will be prizes for the best finish times in various age categories for boys and girls.
Recognizing the need for more youth programs, Granada invited Vida Joven to open its first local club here in late 2008. The club meets every Thursday night at the end of Calle Santa Lucia. The meetings are open and draw average groups of 80 to 100 youth, with attendance climbing steadily.
Various activities are held Monday through Friday, with monthly camp events at the Matagalpa base where Vida Joven started more than 20 years ago.
There are currently 28 clubs throughout Nicaragua. In addition to providing safe and entertaining activities for youth, Vida Joven s holistic approach focuses on inner transformation and character development for young people at risk.
Given the success of this first club, Vida Joven is planning others throughout the city: in the Granada neighborhoods of Escudo, the Stadium, La Villa, Pantanal and La Sabaneta. Funds for the first year were provided by an international NGO and private donors. Vida Joven s vision, however, is for each club to develop support from within the community, which prompted this race initiative.
We re hoping to make this event as successful as possible by raising the visibility of Vida Joven as well as funds for next year s operations and expansion. All sponsorship funds will go to Granada s Vida Joven clubs.
Please consider sponsoring runners in this year s race. And if you enjoy running, why not join the fun? Keep your eyes open for posted information about registration and sponsorship opportunities, or email us at thebridgegranada@aol.com.
Sarah Kaye
Granada
