High five and congratulations to the entire Ajvar 5K team for spearheading and launching this August another season of the annual charitable Ajvar 5K race – in its fifth year.
The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD)’s annual signature charitable program – Ajvar 5K, the brainchild concept of Beti Arsovska and Bernard Pesjak – has grown year after year and thanks to the support of hundreds of donors/sponsors, runners/walkers, and volunteers, we are bettering the lives of children in our homeland, Macedonia. Starting off with helping orphans since 2012, UMD shifted gears last year and donated to Emanuil Plus benefitting children with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy in Bitola. This year, we will be raising funds for Vera, which aids children with Down Syndrome and Autism in Strumica.
To mark Ajvar 5K’s fifth anniversary, our dedicated team of volunteers spearheaded by Ajvar 5K Project Directors Ana Dukoska and Ana Pancevska, have launched a new Ajvar 5K logo, a brand new website, a new slogan “We Are Running for Vera,” as well as increased social media presence for maximum coverage and publicity of the event and races (follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat!).
2017 will also mark the addition of five new race locations for a total of ten Ajvar 5Ks this summer and fall including for the first time in Australia and in Canada. The response to Ajvar 5K has been overwhelming and motivating to see how many Macedonians and friends of Macedonia want to help children in Macedonia. UMD’s accountability and transparency to the public, showcasing where every dollar goes, has helped broaden the support base for Ajvar 5K. Thank you to all who have contributed one way or another over the years to Ajvar 5K!
This year will be even better! Check out the locations and dates below, and register or volunteer for a race near you. To emulate the prior success of the Ajvar 5K and exemplify its purpose, these races will focus on charity, culture, community spirit, and exercise. Keep in mind, the Ajvar 5K is a run/walk so all participants and volunteers are welcome to contribute and compete in their own way – all are welcome!
By joining together we are proving that we are an inclusive society and we accept that the differences between us are all beautiful. Hurry to register because the first 100 registrants will receive an Ajvar 5K T-shirt and a jar of Ajvar, a traditional Macedonian pepper spread, courtesy of our global sponsor Mama’s Ajvar, amongst other giveaways from our other sponsors!
We cannot wait to see you at an Ajvar 5K race near you!
Ajvar 5K 2017 race locations and dates:
Crown Point, Indiana – August 26, 2017
Chicago, Illinois – August 27, 2017
Detroit, Michigan – September 9, 2017
Columbus, Ohio – September 16, 2017
Washington D.C. – September 23, 2017
Garfield, New Jersey – September 30, 2017
Miami, Florida – October 7, 2017
Los Angeles, California – October 14, 2017
Toronto, Canada – October 21, 2017
Sydney, Australia – November 4, 2017