For Release: (Immediately: Aug. 12, 2010)Springfield, MO – Evangel University’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will depart Saturday for Trujillo, Peru where they will perform community service projects and start their preseason workouts. Evangel’s cross country teams will build a playground for the Hogar De Esperenza Orphanage in Trujillo (www.perukids.com), assist with vacation bible school services, and organize recreational activities for the children of the orphanage. The orphanage serves approximately 40 children. A total of 10 team members combined from the men’s and women’s teams will make the trip along with head coach Lynn Bowen, Dr. Keith Hardy, chair of Evangel University’s Kinesiology Department and John Shows, professor emeritus from Evangel University.It is the first international trip for the cross country program but marks the second time this summer an Evangel athletics team has made a trip abroad. The Crusaders baseball team played a series of exhibition games and performed missions work in Mexico earlier this summer. The group is scheduled to return on August 21. Evangel’s cross country teams open the season on Sept. 10 at the University of Central Missouri.For additional information, contact:Kevin Kennedy, Evangel University Athletics, (417) 865-2815, ext. 7260###