What do ‘pink tutus’, Jamaica Defence Force servicemen and Jamaica’s Special Olympics heroes and heroines have in common?
They are part of the well-established and still growing socio-cultural phenomenon known as fund-raising runs, or “fund runs”. As has been the case in the U.S and other metropoles, running for a purpose has become the evident vehicle for corporate and now public-sector entities to pool charity and philanthropic resources for schools, hospitals, places of shelter and other organizations

These events garner greater levels of support, the impact on the charities they benefit is the worthy premise but the lure for the public is the “social factor” – during event and post-event bonding and entertainment. Corporate staffers and members of the general public come together, whether they are hardcore athletes (competitive distance runners) or enthusiastic neophytes.
An often overlooked factor is the knowledge transfer and the bank of skills being built as hundreds and even thousands of volunteers contribute to the mammoth tasks of preparing and executing the events.

Alfred “Franno” Francis, of Running Events has made both a business and a vocation out of this preparation/co-ordination factor. Be it the Reggae Marathon streaming through scenic Negril or the City Run or any of the mushrooming number of 5K Run-Walk events, Franno brings both professionalism and a sense of mission to the task. “We are about promoting wellness on a large scale so we do our best to ensure that every participant gets the maximum out of their choice to be in a running event and that the events proceed and are completed with no negative incidents.” he said.

“Also, its personal belief, born of experience, that people need to take better care of their health the single most vital asset, so we use the occasions of these events to present and amplify that message.”
It’s against that backdrop, that we examine a few of the better-known running events – how they came to be, what makes them eachdistinct and what it takes to execute and sustain them – how they “ run”, so to speak.

Digicel: The Heroes Come Out At Night

The Digicel Foundation’s Board Member Karlene Dawson, remembers
that the initial proposition of what is now welcomed as “The Night Run” was greeted with some apprehension. The company was at the very beginning of its transition to its Kingston waterfront headquarters, and the delicate balance sought was quickly integrating itself into the downtown Kingston community – a diverse patchwork of neighbourhoods – and also attract widespread public and corporate support.
The balance was indeed struck, and the run, which had its seventh staging this past October, drew some 12,000 registered participants. Many more thronged Downtown to show their support, generally soak up the vibes and enjoy appearances from the likes of Tifa, the legend, Usain

Bolt and Special Olympian, Alphanso Cunningham.

Why has Special Olympics and special needs played such a big part in the Digicel 5K? Look no further than Digicel founder Denis O’ Brien. O’Brien has been a longtime supporter of special needs causes in his native Ireland and elsewhere, and he was keen to make this a priority for Digicel Jamaica.

responded generously, with their time as well as with their money. The increased flow of funds has meant a greater benefit for the target organizations, with the full proceeds going to the beneficiaries, Dawson emphasized.
The success also enables and motivates the organizers toward innovations such as the ‘FunZone’ that mainly presented fun physical challenges for participants to undergo. The process of improvement is continuous, especially given that the growth in itself is presenting a challenge – albeit a welcomed one.
“We are thoroughly examining the logistics and other considerations – where and how we start, how we handle the registrations, the timing – everything.”

October 2019, one can again anticipate another night spectacle of fun, fellowship, a “little racing” and some much-needed fundraising.

ICWI Powerful in Pink

What’s now celebrated and highly anticipated as the “Pink Run”, was always in the proverbial “pink of health.”
Samantha Samuda VP. Marketing and Patrick Williams, regional insurer ICWI remember when the event, conceived as a relatively low-key breast cancer benefit, was actually showing signs of “terminal illness”.
“The event was great, but it just did not have the awareness and recognition in order to make it sustainable and have a meaningful impact.”
So, the company stepped in as a partner, not only lending its name and corporate cachet, but partnering full-on and reaching out to engage corporate sponsorship from its fellow in the business world. Turns out, many companies responded favourably to that engagement effort, having not previously been aware of the anti-cancer campaign, even with the sterling efforts of the Jamaica Cancer Society, to support its breast cancer screening and treatment drives.

Taking cues from its own members, ICWI was also successful in engaging the attention of younger persons, and also making the Pink Run much more of a family event, with intergenerational participation. They also switched the day of the run to Sunday, which significantly helped to address traffic concerns and to better execute the event overall from its base at New Kingston’s Emancipation Park.
As with other corporate runs, ICWI has sought to continually raise the bar in attracting interest and making participation count. This year’s event featured three colour powder stations, and the sounds of Wayne Marshal, Rondel Positive, Tifa and Agent Sasco (who has a distinctly personal reason for supporting an anticancer fundraising effort.)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pink is the universally recognized colour for breast cancer awareness, so in addition to the now trademark pink ribbons and pins, we can now get used to the idea of seeing the soldiers trade their iconic field green fatigues for pink shirts, the “Pink Dash” relay race up and down Knutsford Boulevard, and, most unusual of all, pink tutus and socks.
No need for alarm – it’s all for a great cause

Sagicor the Behemoth that Runs –

20 years – over 200 companies – 26,519 registrants (in its most recent staging in February 2018) – 350 million raised for over 50 charities over the course of its long history. However you check it, the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run is th e 800-lb gorilla of the category, but Assistant Manager PR Michelle-Ann Letman says the real focus is on delivering “mammoth benefits” to the organizations and institutions that Sagicor seeks to assist through the run. “Our attention has been focused on supporting health and child welfare causes across the island, and we’re very proud to be able to do that through this event.

Of course, to do that takes other kinds of support: the corporate kind, as in the companies that donate and send teams out to participate; the volunteer kind, as in hundreds of volunteers giving uncountable hours to ensure that every step of the planning and preparation process is executed and that the race Day is a success.
And those efforts certainly do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Whether it be providing the first ventilator to the Spanish Town hospital, or the National Children’s Home, the Sickle Cell Unit at the University hospital, the Sagicor Sigma Run has succeeded in “putting smiles on many faces” to paraphrase its current marketing campaign.

Case in point: St Christopher’s School for the Deaf, one of the 2017 beneficiaries was largely unknown before the partnership. As a result of being featured as a Sagicor charity, the institution not only received significant Jamaican support but caught the attention of overseas donors as well.
So on February 19, 2019 the START line in front of Sagicor’s offices facing Knutsford Boulevard will again be buzzing as runners/donors come out in the thousands (and 10s of thousands), to have fun, celebrate life and wellness, and help improve the lives of needy Jamaicans.