Just three months after its launch, non-profit organisation and media marketing company Cause An Effect is off to a running start with its first major fundraising initiative–The September Project.Set to take place on September 1, is a 32K run from Cunupia to Port-of-Spain aimed at highlighting the organisation's ideas while raising funds for its upcoming projects.In May of this year, director of Cause An Effect Francis Escayg along with his wife Laura Pierre-Escayg launched the organisation with the mission to educate and transform citizens' understanding of those with disabilities while laying the foundation for sustainable integration of the differently-abled into society.
The idea for Cause An Effect was sparked by the couple's nine-year-old son Isaiah who was born with an unusual genetic disorder called incontinentia pigmenti.In an interview with the T&T Guardian last week, Escayg said while the focus of the organisation is on the disabled, its mission is to build a sense of empathy and understanding among all citizens.And to kickstart these efforts, the organisation has teamed up with an all-female fitness group called Poison Ivy that will lead the run.The marathon will be divided into 5K legs from Cunupia to Warren Road Junction, Warrenville; Warren Road Junction to Silver Bridge; Silver Bridge to Curepe Academy, Curepe Main Road; Curepe Academy to Silver Mill, Eastern Main Road (EMR); Silver Mill to the T&TEC Substation Laventille, EMR and from the T&TEC Substation Laventille to the Queen's Park Savannah.
The run will start at 5.30 am and Poison Ivy members Lisa Bourne, Wendy Darbasie, Candida Hamid, Jenna Ross, Nicola O'Connor, Thais Guttierez will serve as leg leaders for the run. The marathon will end with one lap around the Queen's Park Savannah led by personal trainer Simone Gonzales.Escayg said patrons who want to support the cause but do not wish to participate in the run are encouraged to come to the Savannah at 9 am to take part in that lap.The event will end with an address by Escayg explaining Cause An Effect's mission and offering details about its projects for the next year. The first will be a film tentatively titled The Need to Feel Special which is expected to begin production in 2014.Escayg said the film will tackle the needs of the disabled in T&T and examine what must to be done to allow for complete inclusion of all members of society.Interested runners can register for any leg of the run and make a pledge by speaking directly with one of the Poison Ivy leg leaders or by visiting the Cause An Effect Web site at www.causeaneffect.co.
For more information, call Escayg at 395-1990.