Nhan Dan Online – Around 8,000 people will participate in the 12th Run for Children scheduled around Thien Quang Lake in Hanoi on December 4, said Vice Standing Chairwoman of the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organisations (HAUFO), Vu Thi Hai, at a press conference on November 28.
The annual event, previously called the ‘Terry Fox Run’ in Hanoi before 2009, aims to improve public awareness of healthcare in Vietnam and raise funds for needy Vietnamese children suffering from cancer and heart disease.
Addressing the press conference, Hai said she is proud to be among the organisers of the run for 11 consecutive years, saying she hopes there will be more participants and charitable donations at this year’s run.
Canadian ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Chatsis believes this meaningful event will boost mutual understanding and the good relationship between the two countries, while calling on people, especially the young, to join the run on Sunday morning to raise money for disadvantaged children with life threatening diseases.
From 2000 to 2010, nearly 50,000 people have participated in the run, raising a total of more than VND4 billion. The money was used to support cancer research and treat needy children suffering from cancer and heart disease at the National Hospital of Pediatrics, the Hanoi Cardiology Hospital and the Heartbeat Vietnam Programme.
All the proceeds at the Sunday run, which can be raised from corporate sponsorship, the sale of T-shirts, and participants’ cash and objects donations, will be used to fund programs for sick children from poor families at the Hanoi Cardiology Hospital, the National Hospital of Pediatrics and Heartbeat Vietnam.
The annual event is co-organised by the HAUFO, the Canadian embassy in Vietnam, and the Vietnam - Canada Friendship Association, along with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the KAT Group and Manulife Vietnam.