Sports campaign spreads kindness among community

Hanoi (VNA) – After three weeks of implementation, the charity campaign called Trieu Buoc Chan Nhan Ai (Million Steps of Kindness) to raise funds for the Vietnam Red Cross has drawn than 40,000 participants and recorded more than 586,000 km, fulfilling 41% of the fundraising target.

Taking place in 56 days from February 25 to April 22, the campaign aims to attract 70,000 runners and walkers who record their sports activities through V-Race app.

With their 700,000km recorded, the participants will contribute 7 billion VND (282,599 USD) to the fund, which will be used to build seven boarding school kitchens for children in impoverished mountainous areas; support 70 poor families for sustainable livelihoods; organise humanitarian markets providing necessities for 700 disadvantaged families; provide consultation and nutrition support for 7,000 poor children; and organise medical examinations and deliver free medicine for 7,000 people in difficult circumstances in Dien Bien, Son La, and Thai Nguyen provinces.

The campaign, part of the activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory, is also a special call towards history, showing respect and gratitude for those who sacrificed to protect the country.

"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 Vietnam Red Cross Bui Thi Hoa said.

This campaign opens up opportunities to build a happy and compassionate community, while sending out a strong message of solidarity and unity in the society, she added.

Doan Tuan, a member of the Me Linh Runner club, who has run 822km in 23 days of the campaign to lead the performance rankings on the V-Race app, said that by joining the campaign, his happiness has tripled with joys from physical exercise, spreading happiness, and easing difficulties of others. He has encouraged 40 other members of his club to join the campaign.

The message that the campaign spreads is similar to the theme “Happier Together” of this year’s International Day of Happiness, which underlines that happy is love and sharing, and kindness brings happiness./.