Run for The Open Door!
The Open Door NJNY Run, in Memory of Gerald Iza, will support ESL, computer literacy, high school equivalency, and children’s literacy programs.
This year, The Open Door NJNY will participate in The Brooklyn Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon to raise funds for the upcoming school year. The Open Door NJNY has provided adult education and support to immigrants in New Jersey and New York for over 6 years. Click here here for the event flier.
When: October 8, 2016
How: Register online at The Brooklyn Rock N Roll using our code OPENDOOR for a discount)
Who: You will train with a veteran runner and join a team of fellow runners
Ready to join? Come to one of our informational sessions!
New Jersey:
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in Fairlawn, New Jersey. Please contact katelyn@theopendoornjny.org for more information.
New York:
Tuesday, July 28, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hope For New York Office located at 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor. Please contact katelyn@theopendoornjny.org for more information.
Not a runner? You can fund or support a runner by visiting http://www.theopendoorhalfmarathon.causevox.com/.
The run is in memory of Gerald Iza, the beloved son of co-founders Luis and Maggie Iza, who was tragically killed at the age of 35. Gerald Iza was born into a life of great pain and poverty and was adopted by Luis and Maggie Iza at the age of 9. He courageously overcame his difficulties, excelling in school and growing up to be a cultured adult, a wonderful son, and caring friend. Moreover, Gerald’s experience inspired Luis and Maggie to found the Open Door to alleviate the suffering that their son experienced as a child. Gerald Iza’s life is a symbol of the hope and life transformation that we pray for students at The Open Door. The half-marathon run is particularly fitting, as Gerald Iza loved to run and was on the track team.
“We feel blessed to have been Gerald’s parents. He was a courageous child. We watched him change school systems and succeed. We heard him throughout the house fall in love with literature. He was a quick learner of anything he faced. His laughter and jokes would fill our home. God used him to bring a different kind of joy into our lives. Anything he did in life, he did with passion. Our love for him had no beginning and has no end.”