Trekking Ambassadors, an international organization based in Santa Barbara, is hosting the 5K Trail Run/Hike “FUN-draiser” on Nov. 5.
The event will start at 11 a.m. at Tucker’s Grove Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara.
Part of the proceeds will go toward the adventure hiking team’s mission to deliver critically needed solar lights and reading eyeglasses to remote villagers in the Mount Everest region of Nepal.
Heather Bond, the founder and lead ambassador of Trekking Ambassadors, said her group’s purpose is to take aid into remote places where there’s no road access.
“That is what separates us on that level,” she told the News-Press. “We are going to Mount Everest, Nepal in March. We just got back from Tanzania, and we brought solar reading lights from Unite to Light. For the upcoming one, we are bringing reading lights and eye glasses to the clinics.”
Additional beneficiaries of the Nov. 5 hike/run are Santa Barbara Wellness, which is Trekking Ambassadors’ nonprofit umbrella organization. Other beneficiaries included Unite to Light, which is dedicated to providing low-cost solar light and power to those without electricity across the globe, and The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara.
“Unite to Light works with organizations across the globe to get solar light and power into the hands of people living without electricity,” Megan Birney, the nonprofit’s CEO, told the News-Press in an email. “We’re excited to partner with Trekking Ambassadors for a second year as they light the world.”
Ms. Bond said Trekking Ambassadors has a mentorship program going on with sixth-, seventh- and eighth graders at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara.
“The rest is a fundraising push to support the upcoming mission to Nepal in March,” she said. “Our slogan is ‘Treks for Light and Sight.’ ”
The News-Press asked Ms. Bond what kind of shape participants need to be in for the Trek Ambassadors missions.
“Most of them hike it, so they have to be able to walk on uneven terrain,” she said. “It’s not a steep trail. It can allow a lot of different people, and you don’t need to be a runner. I’m just looking to get people out and enjoy it.”
The Nov. 5 event will include a raffle for gift baskets, gourmet foods; luxury items, gift certificates for sport equipment and excursions and more. In addition, there will also be chair massages, a giant chocolate chip cookie bake sale and body composition/antioxidant readings.
“We have a lot of great community sponsors that have pitched in to help us out,” Ms. Bond said. “We have some great raffle stuff and lots of things for the participants in the health realm. My goal is to just give these people the opportunity to go out on the trail in a healthy way, support a couple different non-profits, and give back to them through the sponsors.
“For me as the founder, I have raced internationally, and I have always done charitable work in every country I have done,” Ms. Bond said. “I wanted to create a nonprofit that could get explorers and adventurers like me into these remote places to give back to these worlds that we explore and get into the clinics and the schools. With all the traveling I get to do, I want to give back where I can.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYI
The 5K Trail Run/Hike “FUN-draiser” will take place at 11 a.m. Nov. 5 at Tucker’s Grove Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Road, Santa Barbara.
Registration is $45 for an individual, $95 for a family of three to five people and $325 for team building hiking-running.
To register as an individual, family or team, go to endurancecui.active.com/new/events/81809231/select-race?regnow=awe-regnow&error=login_required&state=8c1e5d33-8250-47c5-8d76-afc52240064a&_p=3140759278835248&e4q=278d5572-2ad2-47de-b4f7-fc1807c66ec6&e4p=cde9bd29-9390-4600-b965-b5954b95f01d&e4ts=1666719885&e4c=active&e4e=snawe00000000&e4rt=Safetynet&e4h=468ae73060360d6f55728fb05957d091.
In addition to the 5K event, people can also support the upcoming trek by taking advantage of the Unite To Light BOGO SPECIAL, which is going on now through Nov. 5. When you purchase a portable solar light, Trekking Ambassadors gets one free for their mission to Nepal. To purchase, go to the following link: unitetolight.org/buy-one–give-one.html#.
