Published: Wednesday, 11th August, 2010 4:55pm

Vita seeks runners for Great European Run

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Dear sir - Irish development agency, Vita, is calling on all sectors of Irish society to send representatives to participate in the 'Great Ethiopian Run' this November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The run is a 10km high-altitude event founded by the legendary Haile Gebreselassie and is open to runners, joggers and walkers, men and women. The event is also open to individual participants.

Vita are currently managing an innovative community-led project for 5,000 households in Chencha, Southern Ethiopia, to help lift them out of extreme poverty and enable them to become self-reliant. Funds raised by the participants of the run will be used to support the project which has a particular emphasis on helping women and children, the most vulnerable in society.

An information meeting will be held on Wednesday 18th August at 5.30pm - 7pm at the European Commission, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. The meeting is open to anyone interested in finding out more about Vita and the Great Ethiopian Run. Training and fundraising advice will also be provided.

We aim to send a group of 30 people to participate in the run representing their industry or sector of society - farming, accountants, banking, all different sectors of Irish industry. We have had a very positive response so far but are calling on more people to participate.

The projects supported by the funds raised will benefit thousands of women and their families, supporting them out of hunger and poverty. This 10k run is held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and this year is expected to attract 35,000 participants from all over the world.

Vita, previously known as Refugee Trust International which was established 20 years ago, is an Irish development agency working to tackle hunger and climate change in Africa. Malnutrition is a major problem in Ethiopia with 46 per cent of the population undernourished. Ethiopia and Eritrea, where Vita work, are two of the world's poorest countries and have suffered recent wars, soaring food and fuel prices and extremes in climate change.

Yours,

John Weakliam (CEO),

Vita,

73a Blessington Street,

Dublin 7.

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