Successfully achieving citizen participation in building homes for less fortunate members of society and preserving the environment for four years in a row is no mean feat. Again, over 5,000 runners from different parts of the country attended the recent Globe Run4Home 2012 at the Cebu International Convention Center with enthusiasm and an enriched spirit of community to achieve this goal.
Uniquely philanthropic in purpose, Globe Run4Home 2012 is designed to benefit partner advocacy organizations that are known for their extraordinary track records. This year’s roster includes Gawad Kalinga, which received the biggest donation with P155,000; Habitat for Humanity Philippines, Inc., P67,000; Cebu Biodiversity Foundation, P77,000; and Philippine Tarsier Foundation, P36,000.
GK and HFHP are both raising funds for their housing developments in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City to help those who lost their homes due to Typhoon Sendong. CBF, on the other hand, aims to transform communities in key biodiversity areas into becoming more effective stewards of the environment while PTF spearheads a massive campaign to save the Philippine tarsier and preserve its habitat.
“What Globe does is plant a seed of potential for the communities to grow into positive change. Run4Home, though a Globe initiative, can only be made successful with the help of our partner beneficiaries, subscribers, and communities,” said Globe Corporate Communications head Yoly C. Crisanto. “The P335,000 raised for the beneficiaries is truly a successful milestone that everyone who participated deserves credit for.”
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama graced the event. Support from all sectors of the community poured in with participants’ ages ranging from 4 to 72 years old.
The annual charity fun run gathered the running community of Cebu led by Cebu luminaries Yong and Donna Larrazabal, multi-awarded triathlete Noy Jopson and wife Amale, and Biggest Loser Pinoy edition finalist Alan Choachuy.
Breast cancer survivors headed by Mary Anne Solomon, president of the Outdoor Advertising of the Philippines Cebu Chapter, said the event is worth supporting in every way.
“We joined and were greatly inspired by the past years’ races in Manila and having this year’s in Cebu, all I can say is, why only now?” she said. OAAP also pledged P50,000 to the beneficiaries of the event. Solomon, also a president of breast cancer awareness group Icanserve Foundation and Rotary Club, donated advertising space to the event and encouraged members of her numerous associations to participate.
Globe Run4Home 2012 is supported by Alaska, Cebuana Lhuilier Insurance Solutions, Fox, Gatorade, StarWorld, and Summit Natural Drinking Water as major sponsors. Minor sponsors include Active Zone-Ayala Center Cebu, Airphil Express, Cenovis, Century Tuna, Department of Tourism, Dole, Marriot Hotel Cebu, McDonald’s, Rexona, Skechers, The Body Shop, Timex, Trends & Technologies, and Woman by Lactacyd.