Feature:

Ilonggos Run For A Cause

By Pepin

Hundred of Ilonggos flocked at Freedom Grandstand to take part in the first ever Fun Run and Walk by the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Iloilo last July 11, 2010. The eight-kilometer trail concluded at Boardwalk, where more activities and surprises awaited the participants.

With a theme of “Step up and get movin’,” this activity aimed to promote social awareness and gave opportunities for Ilonggos to share little of what they have to help build homes for dispossessed families in the region. For many years now, it has always been the vision of Gawad Kalinga to stir Filipinos’ hearts to help each other, and this year’s fun run and walk was successful to amass Ilonggos’ support for its cause.

Present at the activity were the newly-elected local officials, who led the people’s confirmation of support for Gawad Kalinga. There are individual runners of various ages and sizes, and there are also groups of friends, families, and colleagues at work who ran together as one.

At the Boardwalk, participants enjoyed different kinds of refreshments provided by some sponsors of the event, and they stretched and bended more during the aero-taebo exercise. There is also a raffle draw and an awarding of prizes for those who finished the race first, both in individual and group categories.

At the end of the race, it did not matter who won, but the victory of the activity as a whole and the fulfilment of every participant to jumpstart the dream of GK in the region.

GK is looking forward to hold the same activity in 2011 after hundreds of people responded this year. t the same time, Ilonggos are expecting to become a part of another round of this activity, and they are hoping for greater success of the cause of this organization.