American Teens organize marathon to benefit refugee children in Thailand
The Rustic Pathways Foundation announces inaugural Tribe-to-Tribe Marathon

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Posted Tuesday, 28 April, 2009

When American teenagers Phil Carlitz, 16, and Andrew Hudis, 15, first saw the plight of Karen refugees while on a trip with Rustic Pathways, they felt they had to do something. Both avid runners, the Philadelphia-area teens pressed Rustic Pathways’ Chairman, David Venning, to organize a marathon raising awareness and funds for Karen refugees in Thailand.

On July 5, 2009, in Mae Sariang, Thailand, the teens’ vision will become reality with The Rustic Pathways Foundation’s Inaugural Tribe-to-Tribe Marathon to benefit Karen refugee children.

The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees estimates there are 140,000 Karen refugees living in Thailand and the number continues to grow as people cross the border every day seeking a better life. The Rustic Pathways’ Hill Tribe Orphanage has become home to some of the children who enter Thailand seeking an education and stable future. Just $400 a year funds school uniforms and fees, food, and books for a single student.

Hudis and Carlitz became committed to the orphanage after visiting and meeting some of the boys in residence. “I think anyone who saw the children, who clearly wanted nothing more than true freedom and equal opportunity, would understand why we to go to such lengths to help,” Hudis said. “The border between Thailand is designated by a line—it appears to be drawn in chalk on the ground. That line means the difference between life and death, whether a child will be free or oppressed, whether his government will support him or leave him for dead, and whether he can go on to live a prosperous life. We can’t let them say that one will live his life in fear because he was born on the wrong side of the line.” Every dollar earned during the race will go towards housing and educating children who fled Myanmar.

Carlitz and Hudis are both accomplished runners. Carlitz completed the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon (2008). Hudis completed two Philadelphia Marathons (2007, 2008) and the Long Branch Marathon (Long Branch, N.J.). In addition, Hudis has set a goal to become the youngest runner to complete a marathon on every continent, including the Antarctica Marathon in 2011. Hudis also plans to run across the frozen Bering Straight in March 2010. Carlitz and Hudis designed the course themselves, after painstakingly driving the mountainous back roads of Mae Sariang to find the route that best showcases the natural beauty of the region. “By running the marathon, we hope to help the Burmese orphans housed at the Rustic Pathways Hilltribe Orphanage successfully integrate in a free society unlike their relatives in nearby Myanmar,” Carlitz said.

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Rustic Pathways has been operating student travel and community service programs in Thailand for over a decade. With dozens of full-time local employees from incredibly diverse backgrounds, our connections here ensure access to places that aren’t open to most visitors, allowing for truly special experiences. The organization’s Southeast Asian administrative headquarters are based outside of Chiang Mai, and David Venning – Rustic Pathways’ Chairman and Thailand’s resident summer Director – also has a home here. With the legendary Ricefields Community Service Base in the northeast, the Hill Tribe Orphanage Project along the Burmese border, and a number of other bases throughout the Hill Tribe region, the organization’s year round facilities are proof of a commitment to the communities and people of the region.

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