Her family, friends, and students are proud of Miranda Rinehart who recently completed fundraising activities to help children fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Rinehart, a health and physical education teacher at Bethel High School in Tipp City, first hosted a “three on three barefoot soccer tournament.”

She explained, “I got permission to use the school football field, and we divided the field into four smaller soccer fields.”

She said that for a first time effort, the charity soccer tournament was a success.

“Those who attended the sessions gave a donation to watch the competition. There were three on each team. Some were all female, some all male, and many teams were made up of men and women. Each participant donated $15 to enter, and among other things got a T-shirt.”

By hosting the local tournament for soccer, Rinehart was eligible to run in the New York City Marathon. She trained, and ran in the New York race, completing the 26-mile course. Local friends pledged money in her honor, which she said all went for the HIV/AIDS project.

“The series of events was triggered because my husband is a real fan of the World Soccer competition,” Rinehart said. “When I heard about the Grassroot Soccer program, which is called “Lose the Shoes”, everything was just falling into place.”

She said, “A number of my students took part in the tournament, or helped me plan and organize the competition.”

There were two age divisions in the soccer tournament, 14 years old and younger and 15 and older. She said each game was staged for 10 minutes and “the rules were world cup style,” she said.

Local businesses and some sports figures donated prizes and gift cards which went to winners on the top soccer teams.

Rinehart, the mother of a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, said she enjoyed both the soccer tournament and participating in the New York marathon.

“You can’t really go wrong when you are doing something you enjoy, and when all the proceeds go to help programs for the young people in Africa who are fighting AIDS,” she said.

“In all, I handed over $2,000, the money we made from both events, which will help fight the epidemic and will help educate African youth about life skills, and the prevention of AIDS.

Oct. 1 was the 22nd annual World Aids Day, a day meant to honor those around the world who have died from the disease and for those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. It is also a day each year that serves as a reminder of the challenges ahead in fighting the disease.

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