The Amazing Race is one of America’s top network TV reality shows, where teams compete in a race around the world to compete in both mental and physical challenges along the way—all in hopes of capturing a $1,000,000 prize. Physicians for Peace’s Mary Kwasniewski had her "amazing race"—but her prize was far greater than $1,000,000—she brought smiles to disabled children in Haiti.

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Late at night, prior to my planned departure for Haiti to participate in a camp for disabled children, I received an urgent appeal from the camp’s administrator— they needed nine pairs of new shoes, black, Air Jordans.  More children were showing up than planned! Now at this hour, no stores were open and my flight was scheduled from Norfolk, VA, in the morning at o’dark thirty, way before any stores would be open. Immediatly, I located a shoe store near the Miami airport and hoped that during my 90 minute layover en route to Port-au-Prince, I would be able to get the job done.   

Upon landing, I immediately rushed to the cab stand and headed toward the shoe store. Of course, as typically seen in the Amazing Race, the cab driver had no knowledge of its location but somehow, we jointly managed to find it with my GPS in hand. Once I arrived at the store, I explained to the sales clerk, who was taken aback at the request for nine pair of shoes - not identical, about children attending Camp Jake in Haiti. With the clock ticking, the clerk found the shoes and agreed to donate some of the shoes to the cause because there was no way we had budget for $80 per pair. So now what do I do with 9 shoe boxes going through the airport security—not to mention just the problem of carrying them.  "Any chance you have a duffle bag?” I asked the clerk, assuming they would have something like that. Next obstacle…they didn’t.

Racing against time, I dropped the shoes in three giant bags and proceeded back to the waiting cab and instructed him to take me to a “duffel bag” store.  So leaving the shoes in the back seat, I run into the store, all the while fearing the taxi driver might just have found himself 9 pairs of new Air Jordans for his family and friends - and at the same time practically hearing the boarding announcement for my plane.

However, I found the bag, the driver didn’t bolt, and I made my flight—with nine pair of shoes in tow.     

The end result:  More than 30 of Haiti’s disabled children at Camp Jake were given a life-changing opportunity to momentarily forget their disability and just enjoy life…all with new shoes on their feet, nine with shoes that came with a story.

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Thanks to a generous grant from ChildFund International, Physicians for Peace has been able to partner with The Red Thread Promise to support the orphans from St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince through Camp Jake Richard. The camp removes physical and emotional barriers, giving participating children the chance to engage in creative arts, as well as physical and social activities under the supervision of a team of volunteer counselors, artists, musicians, mentors and healthcare professionals. Physicians for Peace volunteer art therapist Kelly Andrews, herself an amputee victim of traumatic injury, joined the children at Camp Jake for a challenging and very rewarding experience.