GUARDIAN Group helped spread the love on Valentine’s Day as charities benefited from proceeds earned from the SHINE (Securing Hope for those in Need) 5K and 10K Charity Walk and Run held on January 14 at Nelson Mandela Park, St Clair.
Forty charities received a total of $500,000 at a media conference at Guardian Group’s head office in Westmoorings on Tuesday. The event attracted thousands of runners and walkers. It was a partnership with One Caribbean Media Ltd, SM Jaleel and C&W Business.
Some of the charities to benefit were Adapt a Toy, Chickland Children’s Home, Down Syndrome Family Network, Haven of Hope, Raffa and Jairah House, St Dominic’s Children’s Home, Healing with Horses Foundation, Rainbow Rescue and Society of St Vincent de Paul.
“Today we will certainly be sharing lots of love with you and thousands of children across TT,” said Guardian Group head of group branding and communications Ayesha Boucaud-Claxton.
She said putting on an event of such magnitude was a challenge, but was worth it.
“Yes. It is a lot of hard work, yes. It requires late nights and months of planning. And yes, you can never escape that one little thing that goes wrong and you need to think and move quickly.
“But this race is more than a walk and run for us. It’s our way of putting a stamp of hope, showing that you never walk alone. and. most importantly, through the proceeds of the race, we are giving someone a chance.”
Boucaud-Claxton gave examples of the participants who inspire others during the race.
“From the cancer survivor who wanted to prove to herself that she could run a race, to the man who lost feeling in his legs and day after day worked up his strength so he could run, to the woman who struggled with weight and had something to prove on that day. and to the couple who lost their daughter last year, and ran in memory of her, knowing she was an avid supporter of SHINE: these are the stories, very true stories, we hear time after time. This is what SHINE means to people.”
[caption id="attachment_1001170" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Members of charities and Guardian Group officials stand next to a cheque worth $500,000. The money was raised when the SHINE 5K/10K event was held last month.[/caption]
CHARITIES
Adapt a Toy, Amica House, Audrey Jeffers School for the Deaf, Bridge of Hope, Care Helpers Organisation of TT, Casa de Corazon, Chickland Children’s Home, Christ Child Convalescent Home, Couva Children’s Home and Nursery, Credo Foundation for Justice – Development Centre, Credo Foundation for Justice – Sophia House, Down Syndrome Family Network, El Shaddai Restoration Home for Children, Express Children’s Fund, Ezekiel Home for Children, Ferndean’s Place Children’s Home, Freely Give Foundation, Haven of Hope, Healing with Horses Foundation, Hope Centre, Islamic Home for Children Inc, Lady Hochoy Home South, Living Water Community/Marian House, Mothers Union Children’s Home, Operation Smile Home for Children, Our Lady of the Wayside/Halfway House, PlayAble Caribbean, Raffa and Jairah Hous
