About this time every year, Norawas reaches out to all its friends who care about the special people who call the Barrancas del Cobre home.
Over the years, the passion to support the Raramuri people, their culture, and Micah’s message has been tremendous.
There are many, many great causes out there to support, and Norawas is so very appreciative of all the heartfelt gifts and messages that have been shared with our Running Family down in Urique and beyond.
Over the coming years, Norawas de Raramuri would like to do more.
We would like to continue to support our friend’s culture of running, enjoying being out on the trails, chasing a wooden ball or a hoop around with laughter and joy.
We would like to encourage the young runners to carry on the awesome traditions of their Fathers and their Great Grandmothers.
We want to continue to be called and considered ‘Norawas’ (Friends).
As Micah always shared, the folks in the Canyon do not need us – they have done pretty amazing on their own for a long time; therefore anything we do, from our message to our support activities and our interactions, must come from a place of true Korima.
Yet, in a practical matter, we do need the financial support and sharing of the message support from our friends.
This is challenging for Norawas, because on one side we have this crucial directive of never disrupting Raramuri culture, but on the other, we do not want to interact with our friends on the sole grounds of distributing food for sustenance such as we do every year at UMCB. We want to do more, and we want you to be able to help us create even more positive results for the Raramuri of the Copper Canyons.
Consequently, we have decided to initiate a project last year, which we call the Caballo Blanco Trail Project. It promotes Raramuri culture and the simple act of running, while supporting the heart of everyday Raramuri life; foot travel.
So aside from our yearly fund raising efforts to provide the corn vouchers for UMCB, we are offering our friends and donators to contribute to a new, sustainable, culturally-focused project that will help revive and maintain the traditional Raramuri footpaths crisscrossing the great Copper Canyons.
The idea is simple; you can help with the Caballo Blanco Trail Project by “purchasing” a trail marker (a post, a stencil sign on a rock, a simple phrase, an animal totem, a symbol, etc.) that will provide directions to travelers and share messages of friendship, hope and support from Running People the world over.
If you'd like to have a look at the work we've done so far, here's a little video I shot last year, climbing up the Caballo Blanco Trail for the very first time with our friend and local project initiator, Prospero Torres.
Everything, from the artwork required to the actual placement of your marker, will be done by local people who will benefit from your contribution. And in the end, if we succeed, we will be able to quietly, positively provide a crucial support to the Raramuri way of life we appreciate and admire so much.
Since Norawas de Raramuri has very close-to-zero administration fees, we make it a pride to keep with the goal of 100% of the funds going to support the Raramuri.
Therefore, we will still be able to keep your full donation supporting the folks in the Canyons!
Local artists and maybe Raramuri families (perhaps youth as well as we are looking into some art classes) will hand paint the rocks, local workers will transport them to the trail, and we can also offer support to those helping to build out and improve the Caballo Blanco Trail – which of course will be used by all local Runners!
We are very excited about this project.
It is not perfect, we still have some things to flush out before we officially launch the project in a month or so (we will be doing large segment markers too, thinking about some group fundraising ideas like run clubs and such, we need to get the main trailhead painted, finalize the timeframes, launch a Fundly website, get some pictures of the trail and what the rocks will look like, and some other things), but we think it will be really cool.
So…. Even though we are not officially ready to launch, we need to get the ball rolling in support of this year’s race.
Any donation made prior to launch will be included in the official project once rolling.
Meaning donate now, and when we are off and RUNNING we will get back with you on what you want for your rock.
All Korima Rocks will be placed on the Caballo Blanco Trail up from Los Alisos – how cool to think you will get to visit your rock someday!
Everyone who supports Norawas de Raramuri will be included in the project regardless of donation amounts.
We ask those that are able, to share $75 for each personalized rock.
For all other donations that support the project with any amount, we will include your name or short message of support on the main Trailhead Marker.
Every donation is greatly appreciated and with much love, thank you.
Much more to come.
For now until we setup the Fundly campaign, please donate via our PayPal link.
Kuira’ Ba!