Community Refugee and Immigration Services

CRIS 1925 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., Suite 102

Columbus, Ohio 43229

Phone (614) 235-5747 Fax (614) 235-6127

www.crisohio.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Board of Trustees: CRIS Hosts Annual 5K for Refugees

Leo Almeida A 5k That Changes Lives
Amy Baker, President COLUMBUS Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) of Columbus, Ohio
is hosting their 3rd annual 5K for refugees. On April 23, 2016, at Sharon Woods
Pranab Bhattacharya Metropolitan Park, CRIS is offering a race that can change peoples lives. This event
brings together people from many cultures to celebrate Columbus diverse community and
Daniel L. Brilhart, Ph.D. raise money to benefit refugees and immigrants in it. There will also be a kid-friendly race
held right before the 5K.
Robert Cohen, Esq.

Patti Confar All funds from the 5K will benefit refugees and immigrants in the Columbus area.
Proceeds will be used to fund CRIS programs and services, which help refugees and
Anand Desai, Ph.D. immigrants reach and sustain self-sufficiency and achieve successful integration into the
Central Ohio community. Some of CRIS services include Refugee Resettlement,
Dan Fleck, Ph.D. Employment & ESL, Interpretation, Legal, Family Services and Older Refugee programs.
Mary Howard, DNP All runners and walkers welcome! On race day, sign-in starts at 9:00am. The kids race
will take place at 9:45am, and the 5K for Refugees will begin at 10:00am.
Patrick McLean

Mary Mutegi The fee is $35 for each runner/walker. Register online before April 16, 2016 in order to get
an event t-shirt. The kids race is free, but participants should register if they would like a
Mark Nesbit, Esq. $10 t-shirt. Discounted fees are available for groups of 10 or more. Please call or email for
more information.
Kenneth Ramos
Those who cannot participate in the race but still want to help can do so by becoming a
Joseph Recchie, Esq. sponsor. Sponsorships help defray the costs of organizing the event, purchasing awards and
providing complimentary snacks and drinks for our participants. Any extra sponsorship
Executive Director: dollars will go towards CRISs fundraising goal of $15,000. Some of this years sponsors
include The OSU Wexner Medical Center, the Columbus International Program and the
Angela Plummer, Esq.
Columbus Medical Association Foundation.

To register or sponsor, visit http://www.crisohio.org/cris-5k-for-refugees/.

ABOUT COMMUNITY REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (CRIS)

CRIS is a registered 501 (c)(3) independent non-profit organization that seeks to help
refugees and immigrants achieve self-sufficiency in the Central Ohio community since
1999. The organization offers a variety of services. We have over 50 staff members that
hail from more than 15 countries with many languages represented. Many of our staff
persons have been refugees themselves and are integral members of the communities we
serve. More information about CRIS can be found at www.crisohio.org