If you have ever been a part of a Healthy Kids Running Series, then you have seen crowds of enthusiastic children outfitted in the organization’s t-shirts running many a Sunday in your local parks. But these shirts have also been helping make life a little easier for some special students in the Dominican Republic.

It began when HKRS Community Coordinator Madelin LoBue formed efforts to provide school supplies to children attending an elementary school in a small town outside of Santiago, Dominican Republic. She started collecting these supplies at the Middle School in Eastchester, New York where she is Assistant Principal.

Madelin quickly realized that she had a pile of extra HKRS race shirts collecting dust at her home. She included them in the packages she was sending to the children. They went to quick use as part of the children’s physical education uniforms.

Fast forward to April 2019: over spring break, Madelin and her sons got the chance to visit the school where she has helped so many students. Although the children were also on their school break, close to 60 of them came out for a meet and greet, all wearing their HKRS shirts!Madelin presented school supplies and books donated by the ‘Student Leadership Council’ at her school in New York, as well as additional HRKS race shirts from the Fall Series. Her current students decorated each child’s bag with positive, motivational and supportive educational messages in Spanish.

How did Madelin choose this particular community in the Dominican Republic? This area of the island is where her parents were born and much of her family has lived. Over the past several years, and with the generosity of friends, Madelin has provided basic school supplies, uniforms, toys and storage containers for this school that holds such a special place in her heart.

“It’s always an extremely humbling experience to visit the school and meet the children. This trip was extra special since my two sons, Joseph [9] and Charlie [7] joined me. They helped prepare and distribute the supplies we shipped to the island in advance and were excited to see all of the children wearing their HKRS shirts.”

Madelin LoBue is the Community Coordinator of the Cresskill Series located in northern New Jersey. The Series is in its 5th year in the community where she is also the Assistant Principal at Eastchester, NY just across the Hudson River.