ROANOKE. Va. – Showing support in a big way.
The 2nd Annual Run for Refugees took place in Wasena Park on Friday night, with runners racing to make Roanoke more inclusive.
One of those people involved was Ninon Hentz, who helps refugees learn English.
“This whole journey, this whole job has allowed me to see so much of what can happen in a community when they’re supportive,” Hentz said.
Friday, she came out to show her support to the refugee community in Roanoke, by participating in the run.
“I work with refugees from all over the world and I just wanted to come today and support my people,” Hentz said.
The run is a part of Roanoke Welcoming Week, an initiative to encourage the city to be inclusive. Community inclusion coordinator Katie Hedrick works to make that possible.
“A lot of times we just see what’s really ugly and negative about things, whether its, ‘things are really expensive,’ or ‘there’s a lot of crime’ or ‘there’s not enough housing,’” Hedrick said. “But I think that’s such a small piece of what’s going on in Roanoke. There are a lot of good and exciting things happening, and we really want to highlight those.”
The proceeds from the race will go to Commonwealth Catholic Charities, a refugee resettlement agency in Roanoke.
Even young runners like 13-year-old Carter Dralle recognized the significance of the event.
“It feels good to know that it’s helping the community and making the city better,” Dralle said.
Before she ran, Hentz showed off some of her students’ support.
“Some of my learners signed it so they could come on this journey with me tonight,” Hentz said.
Organizers said the race and kick-off event helped set Roanoke apart as an inclusive community.
“If we’re going to be an inclusive community, we have to make sure we’re reaching a variety of people with different backgrounds, and not the same group over and over again,” Hedrick said. “We want everyone to feel like they have a place here and have a place to belong.”