One of those was Jessica, who committed to running 10km and had people sponsor her effort. She had a very personal reason for fundraising:
“My sister, Samantha, lives in Beirut and was outside walking her dog Dylan at the time of the blast. She lives 1.5km from the port. They both sustained injuries requiring emergency medical treatment but thankfully they have both since recovered. It was a terrifying time for us all and I have never felt so far away from family (thanks COVID-19). Unfortunately, others weren’t so lucky and there are many still recovering from injuries and thousands displaced from their home…Therefore it is important to me that I raise money for the Red Cross Beirut response as it is close to my heart.”