The Haitian Hustle 5K has crossed the finish line on an incredible year.

This year’s event was the most impactful in its 14-year history in terms of dollars raised, sponsors, and participants, bringing in over $33,000 to help cover rising education costs for both Grace Emmanuel School and the Lighthouse Legacy.

Over 675 people participated in 18 states through 4 community races and 135 virtual registrations, and 43 small businesses supported different community Hustles.

Praise God!

On a more somber note, it was also the first year since the founding of the Hustle in 2011 that students in Haiti were unable to take part in their own Hustle because of insecurity.

It was fitting, then, that this year’s Hustle saw the most friends from Haiti ever able to take part in US-based Hustles. 

“I think the fact that our theme verse was about gospel partnership and our partners were literally there made it even more impactful,” said Dawn Bengtson, who hosts the race in Becker, MN

JiHM’s Director of Operations, Roger, and his family took part in Becker alongside two former JiHM employees.

Fort Wayne, IN, also hosted 2 more previous staff members of JiHM, including Scindie, formerly the psychologist at both the Lighthouse Children’s Home and Grace Emmanuel School.

She spoke before the race, which took place about an hour from the university where she is studying on a Fulbright scholarship to earn her MA in social psychology.

From its inception, the purpose of the Hustle has always been twofold. First, to meet the tangible need of raising money for students in Haiti and thus sharing burdens. But second, to help meet the deeper need for community and unity in the cross-cultural body of Christ.

To see glimpses of that unity in this year’s Hustle was a source of joy in a year that has brought a lot of discouragement.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2024 Haitian Hustle! We thank God for you, and we can’t wait to Hustle with you in 2025.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6