On August 11th, a group of runners will take off from Jackson Square and relay run 140 miles to the State Capital in Baton Rouge.
The long distance run is organized in part by the national grassroots organization Run 4 All Women, which was formed in January by a group of women who ran from Harlem, NY to Washington, D.C., raising more than $100,000 for Planned Parenthood. Louisiana is one of five states across the country hosting runs this August. The Run 4 All Women Louisiana relay will benefit Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
The Harlem-based Run 4 All Women announced the creation of a national event series this summer. Coming on the heels of the group’s wildly successful 250 mile journey to Washington DC in January, these five events, to be hosted in Massachusetts, California, Louisiana, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, will further the group’s mission of using running as a vehicle for social change. The events are set to take place August 11th -13th, 2017.
“I'm incredibly proud of the Run 4 All Women movement and the progress we've made over the past few months. Welcoming five new state chapters allows us to continue our grassroots activism while fundraising for Planned Parenthood. It's an honor to be part of something that is truly changing lives and shifting the narrative on just how much we can accomplish on the run. I hope that this next iteration is even more inclusive - no matter race, gender, sexuality, ability- join us" said Désir, the activist-athlete founder of Run 4 All Women and Harlem Run.