Running

The campaign Million Steps of Kindness is launched to call 70,000 people to take part in sport activities to support people with difficulties. Photos of organisers

HÀ NỘI – A charity campaign entitled Triệu Bước Chân Nhân Ái (Million Steps of Kindness) has been launched to call people to practise sports and raise funds for the Việt Nam Red Cross.

The event, organised by Việt Nam Red Cross, Việt Nam Youth Union, vRace and FPT Online, is one of the activities within the framework of the Humanitarian Month 2024's "Humanitarian Journey - Giving Love".

The campaign aims to spread the spirit of solidarity, kindness, creativity, determination and perseverance of Vietnamese people.

It aims to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the historic Điện Biên Phủ Victory and the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day of the capital city.

Leaders of different organisers take part in the launching ceremony on February 25 in Hà Nội.

The organisers expect to attract as many as 70,000 people to participate in sports activities (walking/jogging/running) and record their achievements through the vRace application. With their 700,000km recorded, the participant will contribute VNĐ7 billion (US$283,000) to the fund.

The campaign will last 56 days from February 25 to April 22.

It will be used to build seven boarding school kitchens for children in impoverished mountainous areas; support 70 poor families for sustainable livelihoods; organise the humanitarian markets providing necessities for 700 disadvantaged families; consult and support nutrition for 7,000 poor children; and organise medical examinations and deliver free medicine for 7,000 people in difficult circumstances in Điện Biên, Sơn La and Thái Nguyên provinces.

Organisers expect people will run 700,000km to contribute VNĐ7 billion for needy people during 56-day campaign.

According to organisers this is a special call towards history, respect and gratitude for those who sacrificed to protect the country so that today's people can have freedom and enjoy journeys of hope.

At the launching ceremony, leaders, officers, members and volunteers of the organisations participated in meaningful activities such as blood donation, registering for tissue/organ donation, garbage collection and tree planting.

"A Million Steps of Kindness" begins a humanitarian journey - giving and receiving love, extending from the North to the South, from the plains to the mountains and border, from rural to urban areas," Chairwoman of the Việt Nam Red Cross Bùi Thị Hòa said.

"All people, regardless of age, background or occupation, who want to encourage acts of kindness for the community, can register to participate on vRace."

Speaking at the launching, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Organ and Tissue Donation Association Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến said that the programme was a journey of kindness in which everyone can participate, contribute, share and give love through doing exercise and practising sports for good health.

People can take part in the campaign, recording their activities on the vRace app or the tournament's website.

She believed that the community and society would actively respond to the campaign, not only bringing tangible benefits such as building kitchens, providing free food and medical treatment to the poor, but also being a noble gesture of donating blood and donating organs to save lives.

Everyone can register to participate, in groups or individually, on the vRace app or through https://vrace.com.vn/race/trieu-buoc-chan-nhan-ai.

Otherwise, people can support the campaign by texting and direct transfer to payment gateways and e-wallets on the website and Việt Nam Red Cross's account. VNS