Record number of people sign up for annual Run for Refugees
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A record number of people signed up for the annual Run for Refugees in New Haven, Connecticut, on Sunday, CBS News’ Kenneth Craig reports.
Seventeen-year-old Mahmood and his family are living the American dream. He’s a high school senior, a runner, and also a refugee.
On Sunday, he was pounding the pavement with a purpose and full heart.
“I feel so happy that I can see the real people that are speaking with the refugees, they’re standing with the refugees,” Mahmood said. “That makes me so excited.”
His family came to the United States as refugees in 2014 from war-torn Iraq.
“I was so excited to get in the airplane and I said, ‘Hey maybe I’m in a dream,’” he said.
They started a new chapter in Connecticut with the help of an organization known as IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services), which has been resettling refugees since 1982. Ten years ago, IRIS launched this 5K fundraiser. But the annual race took on a new life when President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning visitors from seven Muslim majority nations, and refugees.
Executive Director Chris George says that within 48 hours, the race sold out at more than 2,500 runners.
“People were so motivated to demonstrate their support for refugees, they registered in droves,” George said.
Twenty-three-year-old refugee Sam Rose and his family fled Iran to escape persecution for being Christian. This fall, they opened a family catering business, and at today’s race, they gave back -- serving up a taste of their homeland, and a lot of gratitude, one bowl at a time.
“We’re excited,” Rose said. “I think if there’s more events like this, there’s going to be a huge difference in what people view refugees as.”
Race organizers said this year they’ve raised more money than the last nine years combined. But they say it’s not about the money -- but instead the remarkable show of support.