ShawneeDispatch.com

It isn't just a run for mercy; it is a run for hope, a run for love and a run for a chance at a better life for untold numbers of children.

The fourth annual Run for Mercy will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday at Mill Valley High School, 5900 Monticello Rd. With a new fundraising event and more and more participants in the run and walk, the event continues to further the goal of Shawnee-based nonprofit organization Oceans of Mercy.

As most residents of Shawnee already know, the Run for Mercy benefits the Oceans of Mercy Children's Village in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The village provides food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care for children affected or infected by AIDS.

Traci Johnson, a volunteer with Oceans of Mercy, just got back from visiting the village for two weeks. She said the village, located on a five-acre farm, has taken on two more orphans and is now focusing on expanding the home on the land, adding more bedrooms so there is room to take in more children.

Johnson said a missionary couple from San Diego has moved to the village, and they are working with architects to facilitate the expansion of the orphanage and to plan for the future health clinic and community center.

The village also recently had 32 visitors from the Shawnee area, who traveled to South Africa on a "Mercy Trip." Johnson said among several activities they took part in, the Mercy Trip visited with 1,800 school children in the community and trained 12 South Africans to help those with HIV/AIDS.

It is these types of programs that the Run for Mercy funds. James Lawson, race coordinator, said organizers were once again expecting about 1,000 people to participate in the run/walk, and it seems the event's reputation is spreading.

"The really interesting thing for me is we're getting entrants from really far away," Lawson said. "We've got New Jersey, North Carolina and California registrations."

The run is sanctioned by USA Track and Field for those who would like to time their run. The route will once again go through the Mill Valley parking lot, up Monticello Road, west on Clear Creek Parkway, north on Woodsonia Drive, east on Johnson Drive and then back to the high school on Monticello.

Lawson said this year, organizers wanted to spread out the participants more. So, the 10K run begins at 8 a.m. with the South African rooster crow, and 5K run/walkers will start 10 minutes later.

As in past years, the event will be more than just a run/walk. There will be food, including the $5 Chris Cakes pancake breakfast; live music; massage tables; an awards ceremony; and children's activities, including the Kid's Fun Run.

This year's event also will be the debut event for Petals of Mercy, an organization formed to further support Oceans of Mercy. Petals of Mercy will have a plant sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the school, including a large variety of summer annuals and perennials.

Johnson said the sale will be run by Jannet Saeger, a horticulturalist from Omaha, Neb., who will bring $100,000 in plants for the sale. Saeger has coordinated sales for nonprofit organizations in the past and learned about Oceans of Mercy through Johnson.

"For the past three years, she's been trying to think of ways she can bring the plant sale down to Kansas City," Johnson said.

With the help of Renee Terill, they formed Petals of Mercy and hope to have a sale coinciding with the Run for Mercy every year.

Registration forms can be found online at www.oceansofmercy.com. Forms can no longer be mailed, but they can be delivered to the Country Club Café, 66th Street and Monticello Road, or online registration is available at www.multirace.com.

Participants can also register the day of the event inside the high school. Packet pick up for those who have preregistered and registrations will begin at 6:30 a.m. Those who have already registered can also pick up packets from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 20 at Mill Valley, though it is requested that participants avoid the hour school is dismissed, about 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.