Philanthropist, athletes take Christmas cheer to Shoe4Africa kids
From left: Former World Under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, World 10,000m bronze medallist Margaret Chelimo, Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, former 5,000m Commonwealth champion Mercy Cherono, London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, Boston and New York Marathon champion Evans Chabet and Vincent Kipchumba, 2019 Amsterdam Marathon champion, who were accompanied by other athletes from 2Running Athletics Club in Kapsabet, Nandi County, when they visited children at Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital which is within the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County and donated a trampoline, and other goodies on December 12, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Last year, Tanser organised an 80 kilometres charity race from Timboroa to Eldoret to raise funds for the building of a 152-bed children’s cancer hospital.
Christmas came early for children admitted to the Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital based at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County when top athletes bearing gifts paid them a visit.
The athletes from 2Running Athletics Club in Kapsabet spent some fun time with the ailing children to uplift their spirits and give them hope.
The athletes accompanied the founder of the children’s hospital, philanthropist Toby Tanser, to the hospital.
Star athletes
The athletes’ coach Claudio Berardelli, Boston and New York Marathon champion Evans Chebet, London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, former 800 metres world Under-20 champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and former 800m world champion Eunice Sum were present.
Others are former London Marathon champion Prisca Jeptoo and former 5,000m Commonwealth Games champion Mercy Cherono.
Tanser said that since the hospital which was established in 2015, one million people have been treated at the facility.
He said that this was a milestone for the hospital which is one of its kind in East and Central Africa.
“We are glad to have interact ed with children who are admitted to the Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital. It has been our tradition to visit them (the children) and make them feel they are also special,” Tanser said.
“What we are creating here is a children’s village where they can access various facilities in one place as they continue to recuperate before they are discharged from the facility.”
He further said that the Shoe4Africa Juli Anne Perry Children’s Cancer Hospital will be ready in a year.
The Shoe4Africa Children’s Hospital currently has 220 children admitted with various illnesses.
New York Marathon champion Chebet said that sick children need love.
Feel loved
“We want these children to feel part of the community and we want them to recover quickly and go back home in good health. We will always be there to motivate them,” said Chebet.
Kipruto said: “The sick children need care and love.”
Last year, Tanser organised an 80 kilometres charity race from Timboroa to Eldoret to raise funds for the building of a 152-bed children’s cancer hospital.
Former world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, accompanied by her 14-year-old daughter Isla Lough, who suffers from cancer, flew into Kenya for the ground breaking ceremony.
