As U.S. refugee cap drops, a St. Louis race takes on new urgency

Avid runners enjoy different auditory experiences. Some run in complete silence, and others run with hype music playing through headphones to get them through their exercise. Olivette resident and preschool teacher Heather Huewe runs with public radio streaming through her headphones.

Little did she know, a 2017 newscast about one of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders would lead her to launch the annual Race for Refugees in St. Louis.

“One of his very first moves was the ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. I was just so upset. I remember running up that hill on Skinker going south thinking: ‘I have got to do something. I can’t just vote. I can’t just be upset. I can’t just talk about it,’” she said. “I’ve been a runner for 30 years, I’ve run races for charity before. I coach Girls on the Run, and I thought, ‘This is something I know.’ I thought of all the elements that go into a great race. Of all the connections that I’ve made over the years as a teacher [and] a lifelong St. Louisan. Once I got to the car, I started texting friends, family, seeing who would help, and we would figure it out together.”

Once Huewe, her family and friends combined their resources and connections, they hit the ground running to organize their first 5K run. Huewe and her collaborators hoped for 100 runners.

More than 600 people showed up that first year to support immigrant services at the International Institute of St. Louis.

Registration numbers have grown throughout the years. Samson Hillary was introduced to Race for Refugees at the fourth annual race. He chose Race for Refugees as his first 5K because he and his family are refugees from South Sudan. He now serves as the race’s organizer and donor relations coordinator at the International Institute. Read all about it here.