Encinitas Country Day School students run to save lives

At the annual Encinitas Country Day School Jog-a-Thon, the winners are always the world’s children with congenital heart defects who receive life-saving surgeries provided by Gift of Life International (GOLI), according to a news release.

“Every year when the ECDS fundraising numbers are reported, I am humbled by the passion and purpose that drives these students to give the ‘gift of life’ to other children their age. Their example is heartwarming and inspiring,” says, Rob Raylman, CEO of Gift of Life International, in the news release.

According to Anne Marasco, ECDS librarian, in the news release: “Each year, the Jog-a-Thon is an opportunity for students and their families to put the character traits of empathy, generosity, and perseverance into action. 97% of funds raised this year will defray the costs of providing heart surgeries to more than 50 children living in Bolivia, Guyana, and the Dominican Republic.”

Over the past 15 years, ECDS students and their families have raised more than $600,000, providing 571 children in 16 countries life-saving surgeries, post-operative care, and peace of mind for their parents.

Gift of Life International is a nonprofit organization founded in 1975 with the mission of saving the lives of children in areas of the world where medical resources are limited. Doctors who partner with GOLI, serve in over 80 countries around the world. Gift of Life doctors perform operations and train local medical staff.

Since 2009, the ECDS-GOLI joint-effort continues to grow under the leadership of Shannon Everett, whose father, actor Chad Everett, was the Gift of Life International spokesperson for many years. “My motivations are to help as many people as possible receive life-saving heart surgeries, and introduce local children and youth to the joys of helping others and being a positive force for good in the world,” Everett said in the news release.

To find out more about Gift of Life International go to: giftoflifeinternational.org. And to find out more about ECDS visit: encinitascountrydayschools.org.

This story originally appeared in Encinitas Advocate .