Runners from the 3K batch pumped up at gunstart.
JANUARY 22, 2012—A total of 646 individuals flocked in front of the UP Los Baños Baker Hall to participate in a Fun Run, dubbed ‘Across Borders’ and hosted by UPLB Red Cross Youth (RCY of UPLB), in cooperation with the Macrunners Sports, Inc.
Ms. Zurielle Arambulo, Across Borders’ activity head, said that the event aimed to unite different individuals to lend a helping hand to the marginalized in a fun and healthy way. She further added that they hope it will become an annual event that people would look forward to.
Families, professional runners, enthusiasts, police cadets, and students actively participated in the events; some even brought their dogs to run along with them. The oldest runner, 76 years old, and the youngest, 2 years old, both finished the race.
Proceeds of the said activity will be used by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Laguna Chapter and the RCY of UPLB to finance the Blood Drives and Blood Services program of the organization. The RCY of UPLB regularly holds three Blood Drives a year in the attempt to provide for the huge amount of demand of blood in the PRC Laguna Chapter.
Need for blood
The activity was primarily held to finance the Blood Services of the organization.
“In Laguna alone, the PRC Laguna Chapter provides 100 blood bags a day,” said Daryl Deanon, RCY of UPLB President. “Each blood bag can help up to four individuals,” he later added.
Because of all the different blood-related diseases, surgical operations, and accidents in the country, there is an almost never ending demand for blood bags. As such, members of RCY of UPLB felt the need to increase the people’s awareness regarding the country’s need for more blood donations.
More to flow
Because the activity was a success, PRC Laguna Chapter Asst. Administrator Eryl Agos suggests that it would soon be done at other Red Cross Councils. He furthered that the activity not only provides a means to finance the blood services, but it also serves as a venue to promote the causes of the humanitarian organization.
The Philippine Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian, donor-funded, volunteer, organization. Their primary mission is to bring “timely, effective and compassionate humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable without consideration of nationality, race, creed, gender, social status or political belief.” Blood Services is one of the many programs that the organization has in order to help those in need. For more information about the services that they provide, you can visit http://www.redcross.org.ph.
by Daniel Dave Batayo