The Pennington Presbyterian Church invites the local community to participate in the Dash Away 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run Walk through Pennington Borough and Hopewell Township on Saturday, December 5, 2015. The event will benefit the church’s effort to provide clean water in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico through Living Waters for the World (LWW), and combat homelessness through HomeFront and its youth mission project with Habitat for Humanity.
The race is set to start at 9 a.m. on Delaware Avenue. The race is a USA Track and Field sanctioned event, with race timing by Racing NJ of Titusville. Race security and public safety will be provided by the police of Pennington Borough and Hopewell Township. There will be awards for the top overall male and female finishers, and the top three, male and female finishers, in each age group.
Each registrant by November 13 will receive a long sleeved T-shirt– and late registrants while supplies last. The cost to register through November 13 is $25; and after that it becomes $30 through race day. See the course layout, and register online at dashaway5K.org, or in person on race day at the Church, starting at 7:45 a.m.
Since 2010, the church has installed two water purification systems in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico through the Living Waters for the World program in Sacalum and Kaua. This year the church developed a new covenant with the town of Tahdziu for a third installation in 2016.
Pennington Presbyterian works under the Living Waters of the World program of the Synod of Living Waters of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which since the 1990s trains and equips mission teams to plan, install and help support sustainable water installations in communities deprived of clean water. The treatment systems and accompanying health educational programs target communities with available but contaminated water. Churches and groups of all denominations or non-denominational affiliations can participate. Key to the sustainability of the program is the empowerment of local communities to install and operate the systems.
Initiating partners like Pennington Presbyterian Church make multi-year commitments to work with local operating partners, with the goal of providing safe water for a generation. At least four visits are involved, one to develop plans and a covenant, one to install the system and educate community members on benefits of safe water, and at least two return visits to review operations, ensuring that the water system and the ongoing education program are effective. The complete scope of each installation project — including educational materials, equipment, housing for the installation, and supplies — costs about $35,000 to $45,000 depending on the type of water the locality has. Systems suitable for the Yucatan peninsula with its hard, saline water requiring reverse osmosis/softening technology are at the higher end of the cost range. Each small water purification system that Pennington Presbyterian installs is meant to consistently meet the needs of 300 people with the water distributed in 5-gallon bottles.
These clean water systems can be a catalyst for other local community initiatives that benefit the residents’ quality of life. Take the installation in Kaua (pronounced “cah’wah”) with the Divino Maestro V Presbyterian Church. The system now provides clean water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and caring for babies in Kaua and three surrounding towns. This year the Divino Maestro V team began to take meals and safe water to 25 elderly people who have no means of financial support. The success of the water system also enables our local partners to attract people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. You can find more information by going to the LWW website, www.livingwatersfortheworld.org .
Pennington Presbyterian Church, at the corner of South Main Street and Delaware Avenue, celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2009. Its early members played prominent roles in the Revolutionary War. The church honors its proud history by passing on its rich traditions and calling each new generation to love and serve God and the broader community.
