BUFFALO, N.Y. — March 10, 1913, is the day Harriet Tubman was born. To celebrate her legacy and connection to Western New York, a special event is happening here in Buffalo.
The Harriet Tubman Legacy Project is holding a virtual 5K at the end of the month to celebrate. That event will also be making a difference for some people in the area.
“The goal ultimately was to bring the community and world to Buffalo," Faustenia Morrow of the Harriet Tubman Legacy Project said.
She hopes to accomplish that by highlighting Tubman's connection to Western New York. Proceeds from the race will go to help the Omega Mentoring program that's run by a former Buffalo Police detective, Cedric Holloway.
The program aims to motivate kids to go to college through one-on-one mentoring by building a sense of pride and self-confidence.
"I've responded to a lot of homicides and shootings, and I think it’s shameful that our kids at their age are dying in the streets because all they are exposed to, and all they have opportunity to is what they know from their neighborhood," Holloway said.
By helping to fund this program, the proceeds serve as empowerment in the community.
"We're benefiting from the Harriet Tubman 5K because I like, and it’s my aim and my goal, to expose them to different opportunities and experiences. Anything that comes from donations wise gives me that opportunity," Holloway said.
He's been able to take kids to plays and introduced them to classical music.
"A lot of the kids don't realize how close this Harriet Tubman thing is to them, and to this area, especially with the resting place for Harriet Tubman being so close. I've taken them to the Black museum, more than a couple times, and we've looked at the story of Harriet Tubman," Holloway said.
Holloway believes that the more opportunities he can expose kids to, the better.
"You never know who we have in our midst if they are not exposed to different opportunities that are existing," Holloway said.
Karen Saxon was one of the program participants last year.
“It's just meaningful to me to have folks who look like me intentionally take control of their health and make better choices about eating and water and conscious about exercise. I said, 'You know, let's stay on this journey. It's doing wonderful things for me,' " Saxon said.
This is a virtual 5K, so you can run it anytime you want between March 20 and 27. The race fee is $35, and people will also need to pay a $3 sign-up fee. Registration can be completed online with a deadline of March 15 to sign-up.
When it returns to a single in-person event, it will start at the African American Heritage Corridor on Michigan Avenue and go to the Freedom Wall.