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By Brittany Parks*

A life in Africa is claimed by malaria every sixty seconds, leaving millions of lives lost every year. Family and friends of Lakewood United Methodist Church (North Coast District) joined hands in an effort to eliminate the deadly disease.

Mission in Action is a new annual event of Lakewood United Methodist Church that will raise awareness and money for different missions both here at home and globally.  Funds raised during the 1^st Annual Mission in Action Fun Run will benefit Imagine No Malaria, a global campaign to fight malaria in Africa.

The 160 participants of this year’s 5k and 1-mile events gathered at Cove United Methodist Church, a shared ministry with Lakewood UMC. The course wound through Lakewood neighborhoods and along Edgewater Drive, where participants were cheered by family and friends.

This first annual “Mission in Action” campaign was a huge success! The event raised $4,500, which will be used for the purchase of bed nets, diagnostic tests and medicine, and for education and treatments.

Thanks to the efforts of The United Methodist Church and the Lakewood community we are putting our faith into action to prevent deaths caused by malaria.

*Brittany Parks is a member of Lakewood United Methodist Church.