Contact: Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
Contact Person: Rev. Ann Colley
Telephone Number: 215-276-7200, ext. 1009
Fax Number: 215-276-7244
Email Address: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Web site address: www.enontab.org



Crossing Over and Reaching Out

Philadelphia, PA - June 25, 2007 - Crossing Over and Reaching Out, this year's theme for Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church's Second Annual Fit For Eternity Walk-Run to be held on Saturday, July 7, is truly what it says.
    
The church is “reaching out” to raise money to help those with sickle cell anemia, a heredity disorder with no cure that affects more than 70,000 Americans, predominately those of African and Mediterranean descent. In addition, participants also will be “crossing over” as they begin their 4.5-mile walk or run from Enon's older church site to its new worship and family life center.
    
The event, to be held on Saturday July 7, rain or shine, will begin with check-in at 6:30 a.m. at the church's 230 West Coulter Street site. The walk-run will begin at 8 a.m. Registration cost is $10 per person or $40 for families of four to six. Checks should be made out to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Walk/Run.
    
Registration and donations also are being taken at the church's 2800 West Cheltenham Avenue site and online at www.enontab.org .
    
Those who can't participate are asked to support someone who can. Participants also are asked to collect pledges from family and friends.
    
With registration, participants will receive a t-shirt and bag full of goodies. Participants must be pre-registered to guarantee a t-shirt. All team-member registrations must be submitted at the same time.
    
Registration forms and checks can be mailed to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2800 West Cheltenham Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19150: Attention Rev. Ann Colley.

The 4.5 mile walk/run route begins at the church's 230 West Coulter Street location and ends at the new site, 2800 West Cheltenham Ave., where music, free refreshments, radio station personalities and give-a-ways will be featured.

Participating are Laiya of WPHI, Moshay Laren of WRNB and Cece McGhee of WPPZ.

All proceeds this year will benefit the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, (CHOP) an organization that meets the needs of patients through care, education and research. It runs a summer camp, “Free to Be Me,” a teen group, and provides a broad range of educational services to the community.

The church's Fit for Eternity Walk/Run is a new twist on an old tradition.  Last year as Enon prepared for the opening of its new edifice, the Rev. Dr. Alan Waller, senior pastor, decided to update the old Baptist tradition of having a church congregation walk from the site of the old church building to the site of the new building.

Although Enon will not be moving out of its current site, Waller wanted to honor the symbolism of the church's expansion to its new worship and family life center.

In keeping with Enon's commitment to benefit those in the community and beyond, he established the Fit for Eternity Walk/Run as an annual event commemorating the crossing over into a new facility but also focusing on health issues that affect the minority population, including those that don't receive the publicity and awareness that they should.  

Last year's event, which focused on childhood obesity, drew about 2,000 participants. The church was able to give $37,000 to "Student Run Philly Style."  Pastor Waller says he wants this annual event to grow as big as the Broad Street run and wants everyone to come and be a part of the event to help out those in need.

For more information on this year's event, to register or to make a pledge, log onto www.enontab.org or call 215-276-7200.


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