Malvern Prep senior Paul Stockett '13 spent his first week of summer vacation working with poor children in Peru as part of the school’s Christian Service program, which takes juniors across the globe to directly aid people in need. The Media resident is now working to bring a triathlon to local children in the hopes of raising much-needed funds for future community service endeavors.
Stockett, a member of the Malvern Swim Team, is organizing the first annual Chase the Friar Kids Triathlon for boys and girls ages 7-14. The triathlon, which features a 125-yard swim, a ½ mile run and a 2-mile bike ride, will take place on Sunday, July 15, at 9 a.m. on the sprawling campus of Malvern Prep. Kids will swim in the O’Neill Center Pool and bicycle around Ring Road and across Warren Avenue to the grounds of the Malvern Retreat House, then wrap up the triathlon by running on the new campus track on the Pellegrini Athletic Center. Participation is $25. Registration forms are available
online. Registration is encouraged by July 9.
Proceeds from the Chase the Friar Triathlon will benefit Malvern Prep’s Christian Service program and the Erika Hornsleth Memorial Grant, which is given to a Malvern Prep freshman who is a student/athlete, demonstrates financial need, and is committed to performing community service with underprivileged children.
“The Christian Service program is such a great part of Malvern. I personally went to Peru, where we worked at an orphanage and helped families and kids in some of the poorest sections of the country, where the help was greatly needed” Stockett said. “Half of the proceeds will benefit the Christian Service Fund and help to pay for the trips we do throughout the year. The other half will benefit the scholarship program Coach Paul Hornsleth set up in honor of his daughter, to help kids who would not normally be able to attend Malvern Prep.”
In addition to the great causes that will benefit from the event, Stockett hopes to pass his love of swimming on to future Malvern Friars.
“I think it’s important for me and the swim team members who are helping out with this event to give back,” Stockett said. “When I was this age I think there were three races to do each summer, and I just didn’t think that was enough. So, I wanted to give the kids one more opportunity to race. I think it’s important for the older kids to give back to the younger kids, to give them a chance to find something that they’ll love.”
About Malvern Prep’s Christian Service Program
All Malvern Prep students participate in the Christian Service program, which is a concrete way to put faith into practice. Students work directly with people in need, whether by making a “Midnight Run” to New York to feed the homeless, hosting a “Best Nest” Christmas party for children affected by HIV, working on Habitat for Humanity projects, or volunteering in schools, soup kitchens and nursing facilities. In the summer prior to senior year, students travel just to work with Augustinian charities across the U.S. and abroad in South Africa, Peru, Armenia, Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The program aims to have an impact on the world as well as the spiritual development of Malvern’s students.
About the Erika Hornsleth Memorial Grant
Erika Hornsleth was the beloved daughter of Paul Hornsleth ’64, Malvern Prep teacher and swimming coach. Erika loved Malvern Prep and spent a lot of time on campus with her dad, her brother, Kristopher ’96, and sister, Lindsey. She loved Malvern almost as much as she loved swimming. Erika was uniquely gifted in teaching children. Through high school and college, she worked with children at the Malvern Prep Swim School. Erika had a particular passion for working with children who are less fortunate. While working for Vanguard in Scottsdale, Ariz., Erika spent some of her free time at a Mexican Mission working with underprivileged children. There she developed a compassion for hard working families who struggled to survive and provide the basics for their children. Erika believed that every child had infinite God-given worth and it was her mission to help them see their value and experience true joy. Erika lives on in her family and friends, especially her love of Malvern Prep and her commitment to serving others with joy and humility.