Simon Bazelon Photo
Over 3,000 people participated in Sunday’s 12th annual Run for Refugees, which raised more than $100,000 for the resettlement work of New Haven-based IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services).
The event was a joyful affair, with people of all ages, speeds, and ethnicities participating.
The race began at Wilbur Cross High School 10 a.m. Sunday. The first runners completed the five-kilometer loop just over 15 minutes later.
The event featured pre-race speeches by organizers, advocates, IRIS leader Chris George, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, as well as singing by the Yale Undergraduate Gospel Choir. (Click on the above IRIS Facebook video to watch all of that.)
Many people said they ran to show support for New Haven’s immigrant community. “IRIS does such amazing work,” said Chris Barnard (pictured), who raised $2,200 along with his friends, “and especially now, during the Trump administration, it’s more important than ever to show support for refugees.”
Roy Rivers said that “seeing all these people running shows that people still support immigrants.” Rivers ran with Jeff Priela, who dressed in a full-body storm trooper costume. Priela said he wore the costume because “it’s so ridiculous it gets publicity and raises awareness for a good cause. He vowed to be the “fastest storm trooper in the race.”
Kia Lor (#186 in the photo) said that as a refugee once herself, she considers running in the race her way to pay the debt she owes to services organizations. Originally from Laos, she came to America during the Vietnam War. She ran on Sunday along with colleagues from the Wesleyan Center for Global Studies.
For many participants, supporting IRIS was more important than speed. One older couple, Andrew and Francie, do more “power walking” than running. They said they see the race as about “supporting a cause we really believe in. We’re here to show support, not to set the pace.”
After the race, the out-of-breath multitudes milled around Wilbur Cross, eating free food. Archie Moore’s, Chabaso Bakery, Edible Arrangements, Ashley’s Ice Cream, and other establishments catered the after-party.
There were refugee chefs as well. At one table, Dariush Rose (at right in photo) and his son Sam (left) served bean soup to tired runners. The two are Iranian refugees who immigrated to America in 2010 to escape persecution. They have their own restaurant, Green Leaf Tea.