9.17 Emily, our oldest, a grad student at Cambridge, has pushed herself to get to the point of running a half marathon...and is running for a great cause. Here is her letter..... .Can you spare a few dollars to donate to her cause, Ethiopian orphans?
Hi to all my friends and family, and thanks for taking the time to look at my page :) http://www.justgiving.com/Emily-Bruce/

On September 27th, I will be running a half marathon in London to raise money for a charity working with orphans in Ethiopia. I choose to support the Children's Fund Ethiopia because they will use the money I raise in a way that benefits a large number of very deserving people. While I was living in Mongolia in 2006, I realized the importance of aid groups that target their relief in a manner that is actually useful to the people they are trying to help. I choose to support Children's Fund Ethiopia largely because they fund projects that are planned and implemented by community advisory boards comprised of representatives elected by members of the local community. Their work is focused on caring for orphaned children, developing small urban agriculture plots, and community development projects such as HIV/AIDS education. They spend roughly 1% of operating costs on management and administration, and while the charity has Christian roots, they are not missionary in their approach, and support the most disadvantaged children regardless of race or religion. If you would like more information, their annual report and newsletter are available on their website (http://www.smcfethiopia.org/index.htm).

Finally, on a personal note, I would like to thank my sister Martha for inspiring me to start running, as well as everyone who supported me and Cancer Research UK in the 5K Race for Life (you collectively raised over 100 pounds...since I am running four times as far, hopefully 400 pounds is within reach!) As I am aiming to raise 400 pounds before the race, I appreciate donations of any size- your money will be well used, and you can make a difference with even a small donation!

Pax, Emily

PS- Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.