Amy dancing with joy at AFA’s welcome to Panyanga.
ASHLAND, Ky. — Amy Compston, the face of the Amy For Africa mission, was chosen as one of three Women of Influence by Samaritan’s Feet International for her work with children in the Moyo region of Uganda.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon from Samaritan’s Feet headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
Compston is joined in the honor by successful businesswoman Charlotte Thompson Raney and WNBA player Monica Wright.
The award celebrates the achievements of outstanding women through their compassion for children, community service efforts and leadership.
Each honoree will be presented an award at the fourth annual Samaritan’s Feet Barefoot Gala on Nov. 7 in Charlotte, N.C., at the Le Meridien Sheraton Hotel.
Also, each honoree has selected an international country where 26,000 pairs of shoes will be distributed to children as the foundation for better education, healthy and the inspiration to dream big dreams.
Each nominee has shown compassion and determination for making a positive impact in the lives of children, the release said.
Compston, who was nominated by her mission partner Mark Maynard, has been running for the children of Moyo since 2013.
“It’s such an honor to even be considered for something like this,” she said. “None of what has been accomplished is anything any of us at Amy For Africa have done. It’s all God. He has ordained this mission and continues to bless it more than we could have ever imagined.”
She is a marathon runner with five world marathons to her credit, including the last three Boston Marathons. She has also run the Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon.
Last year, she and her husband, Chris, ran 14 marathons in eight months to raise awareness about the needs in Moyo.
Her Amy For Africa organization raised $52,000 in 90 days last winter and 13 team members delivered 26,316 pair of shoes to children and adults in the Moyo region in May. Many of them were putting on shoes for the first time.
“What a blessing it was for each of us to wash those little feet and put on the first pair of shoes many of them had ever seen,” Compston said. “The smiles and expressions on their faces is something I’m sure none of us will ever forget. God allowed us to make this small impact by partnering us with Samaritan’s Feet and we’re so thankful for the opportunity. We’d love to take 26,000 more pairs of shoes over there.”
The Amy For Africa mission was formed in May 2013 and has raised about $175,000 in two years through various projects.
Amy and Chris will be running the West Virginia Trilogy in October – 94 grueling trail miles over a three-day period. Runners go 31 miles, 50 miles and then 13 miles to complete the trek. They have been running 70 miles a week in preparation.
Compston’s fellow Women of Influence nominees were:
–Charlotte Thompson Raney: Nominated by her son, Charlotte is a true example of a strong, encouraging and sacrificial mother while also maintaining a successful career in the textile industry. Charlotte has selected Nicaragua as her country of choice.
–Monica Wright is a WBA player for the Seattle Storm and has played internat6ionally in Turkey, Korea and Australia. With a heart to encourage children, she has selected Zimbabwe as her international country and will also host a shoe distribution her local community.