DC’s 2023 Gaza 5K Champions
Noura Erakat
total raised: $4,354.24
As we prepare for our 2023 Bay Area Gaza 5K on September 30th in San Mateo, California, we’ll continue to highlight and honor the exceptional fundraising champions from the 2023 DC Gaza 5K event in late May. These fundraisers’ commitment and compassion serve as an inspiration to all, encouraging us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need, particularly Palestine refugees.
Hear from our top fundraisers about what the Gaza 5K means to them and draw from their valuable insights to inspire your fundraising for our next Gaza 5K.
Participate in our Gaza 5Ks with the convenience of both in-person and virtual registration options! This flexibility enables anyone to join and demonstrate their solidarity with Palestine refugees, no matter where they’re located in the world.
What does the Gaza 5K mean to you personally?
The Gaza 5K is an opportunity to lift up and celebrate life in the besieged Gaza Strip with joy. So often it is narrated in images and stories of loss and violence and the run together with the campaign that precedes is a life-affirming exercise. We connect across oceans and militarized borders in community, with our families, and our loved ones. Almost as if begetting an opportunity to do the run with our beloveds in Gaza, even on its liberated shores.
What do you owe your team's success to?
My team believes in our collective power and demonstrated that with their enthusiasm and generosity of giving.
What other advice would you give to folks looking to become fundraisers in future fundraisers for Palestine refugees?
I advise to take the opportunity to build community, to cultivate hope, to radically imagine a future we deserve. We are all refugees in some way - connected by status, geography, and kinship ties. Remember that, and insist upon supporting Palestinian refugees not as a community in need of salvation but, rather, empowerment. It is our duty to help them and one another to be self-determined.
Thank you Noura!
Due to the blockade and numerous military assaults, Gaza has been facing a severe mental health crisis. In response to this urgent need, UNRWA USA launched the Gaza 5K initiative, aimed at providing mental health support to Palestine refugee children.
On May 20th, 2023, a remarkable turnout of over 900 UNRWA USA supporters participated in the Gaza 5K event at Rock Creek Park in DC. The event kicked off with impactful speeches from UNRWA USA’s Executive Director, Mara Kronenfeld, and UNRWA USA Director of Communications, Laila Mokhiber. The day culminated in a vibrant Dabke dance party, led by skilled instructors Jinan Shbat, Fuad Saleh, and DJ Fatin.
Participants came together, engaging in various activities such as fundraising, running, jogging, walking, and dabke, all with the shared goal of supporting UNRWA's mental health services for Palestine refugee kids in the Gaza Strip. Their efforts resulted in an incredible collective fundraising achievement, surpassing $263,000 and still growing, all dedicated to the children of Gaza.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering dedication and hard work of our top fundraisers, who have demonstrated through their actions that Americans truly care about the well-being of Palestine refugees.
Want to be featured on our blog? Become a top Gaza 5K fundraiser or email info@unrwausa.org pitching your blog idea.
Bay Area, we are coming for you! Can you beat DC’s champions? Register here and begin fundraising for the mental well being of Palestine refugee children in Gaza.
