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SARATOGA SPRINGS – The last week in August marks the tenth anniversary of one of the deadliest storms in history, Hurricane Katrina. In memorial of the lives lost and the cities destroyed in this tragic hurricane, Mark Bertrand and his wife, Kelly, embarked on a ten hour walk through Saratoga Springs on August 29, the day of the Travers.

“The idea for the walk was the tenth anniversary of the storm. 900,000 homes were destroyed and 2,000 lives were lost. I didn’t want them to feel forgotten,” said Mark Bertrand, who walked barefoot, without eating or drinking for nearly 24 hours.

Mark and Kelly Bertrand are the founders of The Giving Circle, a non-profit organization based in Saratoga Springs. The Giving Circle was established in 2005, after the couple witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on television, while visiting friends in Cape Cod. Moved by the destruction and death the storm caused, the Bertrands knew they had to take action to help those suffering on the Gulf. That winter, The Giving Circle began with “Cajun Christmas,” a project that brought Christmas gifts to 7,000 children whose lives, homes and families were affected by the hurricane.

The Giving Circle continued their aid after Hurricane Katrina by rebuilding homes in Waveland, Mississippi, a sister city to Saratoga Springs. Waveland is roughly the size of Ballston and was 95 percent destroyed after the eye of the hurricane passed through.  Mark Bertrand recalls visiting the city, seeing trees down and mountainous piles of debris, but there being no sound, as no animals or birds had returned to the area yet. The Giving Circle not only rebuilt homes, but restored a local park and repaired its playground. They also built a community center with a computer lab and a stage.

In the last decade, The Giving Circle has expanded their efforts to all over the world. In Africa, the organization has helped orphanages, schools and prisons exponentially. In 2011, The Giving Circle was asked by the Ugandan government to help Uganda’s poorest village, Kagoma Gate. By providing education opportunities, a health center, playgrounds and access to clean water, Kagoma Gate is no longer Uganda’s poorest village.

“A third of the world suffers every day. That’s why I did the walk with no food or water, to represent what the world goes through daily, especially in Africa,” said Mark Bertrand. “There are people where pain is all they know.”

Locally, The Giving Circle has helped found the first Code Blue emergency shelter. The organization also helps the underserved, such as victims of abuse, the homeless and those who are ill, by repairing homes, providing tools for employment and even building wheelchair ramps.

The Giving Circle is run by all volunteers and 99.7 percent of all funds raised go directly to projects.

“We pride ourselves on being proof that work can be done with no overhead, just people helping other people. It can be done, both nationally and internationally,” said Mark Bertrand. “Everyone can do it in their own way. It’s the power of everyone doing what they can. It doesn’t have to be huge, just something.”

For more information, or to donate to The Giving Circle, visit TheGivingCircle.org.