International Mine Awareness Virtual 5k Walk/Run

A volunteer from Mines Advisory Group (MAG), who is a Lao-American and a US Army Veteran, and students from James Madison University’s Dukes for Post Conflict Recovery seek your assistance to raise awareness for International Mines Awareness Day between April 4th to April 30th, 2021!  This is not an official MAG event, however as a volunteer for MAG and members of JMU’s student-led organization, we are seeking to raise awareness and funds toward MAG’s operations abroad.  

About The Fundraiser:

This Virtual 5K Walk/Run event supports a volunteer-led fundraiser event for International Mine Awareness Day (April 4th 2021) and directly raises awareness and money for Mines Advisory Group. 

About MAG:   

Mines Advisory Group is an expert organization working to reduce the impact of mines, cluster munitions, and other explosive hazards. Since 1989, MAG worked and conducted assessments in over 68 conflict-affected countries or regions to directly support communities at risk from the threat of explosive hazards. Each year we help over a MILLION people in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after the war. You can find out more about this Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization by visiting https://www.magamerica.org/

About JMU’s Dukes for Post Conflict Recovery:

Dukes for Post Conflict recovery is a student organization at JMU which solves post-conflict issues through volunteer work and educational opportunities in the local Harrisonburg community.

About the Virtual 5k Walk/Run Event

Starting on April 4th, 2021, and throughout the whole month of April, join us and our international community by walking or running 5k anywhere and anytime!
As you do the 5k walk/run, please share photos and time to this page and tag #imarun for International Mine Awareness Run!!

After the participant completes the 5K Walk/Run in their best time, they can elect to upload a time and/or photo to either the Facebook Event Page or this runner's webpage.  The first 100 participants before March 26th, 2021, will have the option to purchase a Mines Advisory Group Soft Jersey Performance Shirt for $5!  After the initial 100 participants registered, there will still be an option to purchase the T-Shirts through my email at victor.vichith@maginternational.org. 

The top 5 male finishers and the top 5 female finishers with the best time for the month of April will receive a small commemorative gift!  So please post your times and photos!  If you receive your shirt(s) before the Virtual 5K Walk/Run event, please wear them and share!                 

This event will help raise awareness toward the global issue of landmines, cluster munition, and other explosive hazards that currently contaminate areas around the world. These explosive hazards impact communities by affecting their socioeconomic development, which hinders growth and stability. These landmines, cluster munitions, and explosive hazards also indiscriminately kill and maim children around the world.

Your Support:

With your help, we will support our mission toward the reduction of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), provide awareness toward post-conflict communities, and provide a sustainable solution for a safer world.

We are looking to host our Virtual 5K Walk/Run during the month of April 2021 and seeking participants to help raise awareness and funds to support Humanitarian Mine Action!  

 All the contributions will go directly to research and development for Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing toolkits. These tools will enable the deminers with the most current and updated data to perform Unexploded Ordnance clearance operations in countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Due to the unprecedented times and concerns of public health, we decided that a virtual race and leveraging the use of social media platforms would best serve this purpose. All early registrants and MAG donors will receive a MAG T-shirt along with a personal gift package from the host for their participation.  

To support this, simply register!

About the Hosts:

Victor Vichith is 2nd generation Lao-American; whose parents were refugees from the conflicts in South East Asia in the mid-1970s.  He is also a US Army veteran with 12 years of experience in Geospatial and Imagery analysis and will graduate from his university program in Geospatial Studies.  Throughout his career and academic endeavors, Victor specialized in remote sensing technology on unmanned aerial systems to support overseas contingency operations.  Victor began to volunteer for MAG in the fall of 2020 as a passion project with the intent of giving back to the international community and pursued the path to provide support to their research and development teams with innovative methods for remote sensing applications.  Laos is one of the most heavily contaminated (from ERWs) areas in the world.  Victor’s plan is to serve the global community and honor his Lao heritage.    

Michelle Keyser-Vichith is an Emergency Response and Disaster Management expert and served in the physical security sector for over 8 years.  Michelle has the passion and drive to help those in need, especially those who suffered in post-conflict and other affected communities.  She plans to leverage her knowledge, expertise, and passion to support humanitarian organizations that educate and brings awareness to the global crisis around the world.  

Kara Cacioppo is a Junior International Affairs Major at James Madison University. She is currently the President of Dukes for Post Conflict Recovery. As a club, Dukes for Post Conflict Recovery work with the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery to bring awareness to the issue of Explosive Remnants of War to the James Madison University Campus. Dukes for Post Conflict Recovery also works with Church World Services to assist the Refuge community within Harrisonburg VA.  After graduation, Kara is planning to pursue her passion by supporting post-conflict recovery for a non-profit organization.  

Daniel Root is a US Army veteran and served in the Army Corps of Engineers as a Geospatial Technician for over 10 years.  Daniel possesses a Masters of Science and a Bachelors of Science in Geographical Information Systems and currently serving as a data scientist for decision-makers in the National Security sector.  With his background and experience, Daniel plans to integrate GIS toolkits and remote sensing technology toward an efficient data management system in order to develop a robust spatial analysis for stakeholders in the public and private sectors.  Daniel also hopes to leverage expertise to support environmental conservation and sustainability.