(ANS - Rome) - On Saturday 1 November the seventh Race of the Saints will be held in Rome. This sports initiative has always been linked to solidarity with the social work carried out by the Don Bosco Foundation Worldwide. A press conference to present the event was held yesterday 28 October. This year the race will be in support of the work of the Salesians in West Africa in helping to alleviate the impact of Ebola on people's lives, particularly children and most especially children who are orphaned or abandoned because of the virus.

The conference was held in the Hall of the Carroccio at the Capitol, Rome. It was chaired by Federico Pasquali, a journalist.  Paolo Scipio, president of the Amateur Sports Association responsible for the Race of the Saints, explained the purpose of the event, its intrinsic relationship with the charitable projects of the Salesians and the novel features of this year’s race.

Monsignor Andreatta Liberius, Administrator of the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, was next to speak. He stressed the importance of this event involving thousands of people on the special day which is the feast of All Saints.

Fr Tullio Orler, President of the Don Bosco Foundation Worldwide, then pointed out that the characteristics of sport - commitment, hard work, the joy of reaching the finish line - are the same as those of any work of solidarity. He later explained the value of the event in raising money for the Salesian missions.

Marcella Orsini, technical manager of the event, then spoke about the project to be supported by this year’s race. Doctor Orsini explained how the original medical-humanitarian emergency has now become a reality. She outlined the terms of action of the humanitarian project and described the work being done by the Salesians and the young people who join them in their efforts to combat Ebola.  Their work includes teaching the people how to prevent infection, the distribution of food and medical supplies, and informal education of young people now that the schools are closed.

Her words were reinforced by the journalist Sergio Ramazzotti, author of Vanity Fair reports from Monrovia, Liberia. He had seen with his own eyes the systematic and widespread commitment of the Salesians and young people to contain the epidemic. He did not hesitate to describe their work as heroic. Salesian Deacon Albert Dicod Gibson spoke from his personal experience of the threat the local population is facing from the epidemic, and the difficulty of finding a balance between health needs and respect for tradition.

The singer and Paralympic athlete Annalisa Minetti spoke of her experience of the event. TG5 journalist Paola Rivets spoke about "Beyond the great Fear," his documentary on Ebola which will be aired during the live broadcast of the race by the Italian Channel 5. And finally, Enrico Castrucci, President of the Rome Marathon and technical partner of the Race of the Saints, described the course over which the race will be run.

Published 29/10/2014