Marathoning for water cisterns

Orlando Schmidt

It was the fulfillment of a dream and an experience he described as “incredible.” On Apr. 17, Orlando Schmidt completed the Boston Marathon (42 kilometres) in 3 hours and 35 minutes, just five minutes shy of his goal.

“The crowds were huge and very loud,” he said. “Often children lined the course on either side with their hands reaching out to give a ‘high five’ or offer an orange slice or cup of water. I enjoyed running along the side of the course and slapping the kids’ hands.”

Schmidt qualified for the race last fall when he completed a marathon in Victoria, B.C. When he realized he would be running in a world famous marathon, he decided he also wanted to use the experience to make a difference in the lives of others.

Schmidt and his wife, Vivian, served with MCC in Brazil for four years and so it was a natural decision for him to raise funds for MCC’s work there. The One Million Cisterns project in Brazil provides concrete water cisterns for families in arid, eastern Brazil. It was this project and those like it that Schmidt decided to support.

As Schmidt was running the race he saw people waving Canadian and Brazilian flags and tried to acknowledge these as he ran. It also spurred him to think about the people in Brazil for whom he was raising funds.

His goal was to raise $26,000 – one thousand dollars for each mile he’s run and enough money to fund nearly 100 cisterns in Brazil. Six classes at Auguston Elementary School in Abbotsford where his sons attend held a coin drive and raised over $1,000. His youngest son’s kindergarten class raised enough money for one cistern, bringing in $365.

While Schmidt can say he “did Boston,” the feeling is bittersweet. “I look at it this way,” he says. “I have finished running the Boston Marathon but for many families who need water, that need is still there.”

To read more about Orlando and MCC’s water projects, visit mcc.org.

—Angelika Dawson, MCC B.C.

Note: Currently, according to the MCC website, close to $12,000 has been contributed toward Schmidt’s goal.