Young runner raises funds for education

A teenage athlete is planning to run around the island to raise money to sponsor the education costs of underprivileged children.

Charles-Antoine Sokohl will run 10 miles every day for eight days to raise funds for charity Acts of Random Kindness, which recently launched a new education program.

The charity is seeking private and corporate sponsors to cover the cost of intensive, one-on-one tutoring throughout the school year for children who lag behind in school because of their family circumstances.

Mr. Sokohl, 18, who is a student at Cayman International School, said he hoped to raise enough money to personally sponsor at least one child for the full US$11,662.50 cost of the 185 hours of tutoring.

He said he was interested in helping such an innovative program.

“I am still in high school and I understand the need for education,” he said.

“The program is for children who are underprivileged or who have special education needs.

That was something I found interesting because those programs do not really exist on the island.

“The minimum goal I am going for is to raise enough money to sponsor one child; hopefully, I will be able to sponsor two. I am in a position to help, so why shouldn’t I?”

Mr. Sokohl’s brother Pierre-Louis and potentially two of his classmates will run with him in the eight-day challenge, which starts in March.

The group will start each morning at 6 a.m. The first leg will start outside XQs restaurant on West Bay Road. They will pick up each day where they finished the last until they have completed a full circuit of the island.

Mr. Sokohl, who runs with the 345 athletics club, has started a GoFundMe page for his efforts.

ARK’s Mentor Educate Reinforce program is a partnership with the Cayman Learning Center, which aims to provide a “fuel injection” to the education of young children who are struggling in school.

Private sector sponsors can sponsor the education of a child. They will receive progress updates and report cards and are encouraged to develop a real relationship with the child they support.

To help fund Mr. Sokohl, go to www.GoFundMe.com/arc-run-around-cayman.