Charity runs: how running can raise money for treatment

The running movement in Russia is getting stronger and stronger every year. On paths, embankments, along streets, in parks and forests, along roads all over the country, running enthusiasts are more and more often found. Early in the morning, in the afternoon, during lunch break, late in the evening or even at night. They plan vacations, take time off work, come and fly from different parts of Russia for the races. They prepare for them thoroughly (and not so thoroughly) for days, weeks, months.

All for the sake of getting to the start, conquering a new horizon, setting a personal record or acquiring vivid impressions for life. And the most important thing is that these people are full of love not only for running, but also for life. They are open, generous, kind, cheerful – regardless of age, gender or social status.

The organizer of Russia’s most iconic and large-scale races, the Running Community, has been motivating people to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, to challenge themselves boldly, to be on the move for more than eight years. In addition, they show and prove that running is also a unique opportunity to do really good deeds.

Dmitry Tarasov

Founder of the Running Community

When we created the races, we noticed that there was a common trend – cooperation between the world’s largest marathons and charitable foundations. As a rule, the audience of starts is very open, they are ready to help and support. So we decided to work with one general partner per year in the person of the main charitable foundation and seven more, to whom we give the right of free accommodation at our exhibitions and give a certain number of slots for the races.

Our launches have quite a large audience, which we believe is capable of doing good deeds. We continue to develop in this direction and will be happy if our joint activities with charitable foundations help even more people.

For the third year in a row, the Life Line Foundation is a charity partner of the Run series. By registering for the Running Community events, everyone can make a donation and help the Foundation’s beneficiaries. Thus, athletes are waiting not only for hundreds of kilometers of trails in Moscow and St. Petersburg, real running festivals, but also really happy good stories, of which they themselves are an important part. After all, the races have very significant serious winners.

Participants of the Running Community starts for 2019 collected 2,123,583 rubles for children’s treatment, for 2020 – 1,363,384 rubles, and for the recently started running season – 2021 (data, including April) – 1,396,780 rubles.

Faina Zakharova

President of the Life Line Foundation

We regularly interact with the organizers of various races. After all, collective sporting events not only have a positive impact on the development and promotion of healthy lifestyles in society, but also help raise funds and help those in need. And the races are popular all over the world and gather thousands of participants.

We are glad that this movement is actively developing in our country, giving everyone an opportunity to combine useful sports activities with good deeds.

Gleb Starikov’s story

In February 2019, doctors at the V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Scientific and Practical Center for Specialized Medical Care for Children of the Moscow City Health Department gave Gleb Starikov, born in 2006, a terrible diagnosis – osteosarcoma of the distal epimetadiaphysis of the left femur.

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent type of bone cancer, which is faced by quite young people – up to 40 years old. Most often the disease affects adolescents during puberty. Basically, the tumor occurs in the bones of the hands or feet near the joints, and it is quite aggressive and can quickly metastasize.

The boy was treated immediately. Despite heavy courses of chemotherapy, cheerful Gleb courageously fought for the future and even in the hospital walls perfectly completed the school year – he finished the sixth grade with an average score of 4.75.

However, the fight against osteosarcoma was impossible without surgery – Gleb had to have a piece of bone affected by cancer cells removed and reconstructed with a non-invasive, custom-made sliding endoprosthesis. This prosthesis was necessary because the teenager’s body was not yet formed at the time of the operation – further growth and the difference in leg length could lead to severe spinal problems and have a very negative impact on his health.

The necessary amount of money was raised by the Running Community. A huge number of concerned athletes came out to the start: singly, as families and entire corporate teams, among the runners there were even medical professionals – members of the team of the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital. Gleb’s older brother Georgy took part in one of the races.

If my brother could run a marathon, having learned that people are helping him, he would do it. But since he can’t, I consider it my duty.

Already in August 2019, Gleb Starikov was successfully operated on. Together with his family, they regularly go to the countryside, still the recovery after chemotherapy is going on for a long time, but the Starikovs are full of optimism – a stable remission has been achieved thanks to the efforts of doctors and the financial help of people who cared about him, who became an inspiration and support.

Matvey Sorokin’s story

In the winter of 2019, ten-year-old Matvey Sorokin, a fourth-grade student enjoying a carefree childhood and dreaming of a corgi dog, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the tibia. For the last quarter of the school year, the boy was already studying within the walls of the “Morozovsky Children’s City Clinical Hospital of the Moscow City Health Department”. The boy’s father, Dmitry Sorokin, said that Matvey spent almost a year in the hospital, there were only short discharges. In general, the treatment took a year and a half. In total, the child underwent 12 courses of chemotherapy. He tolerated it differently, at first badly – there was a strong burn of mucous membranes, and then everything normalized.

In order for Matvey to recover and start walking again, the doctors had to not only remove the affected part of the bone, but also replace it with an endoprosthesis. In such cases, a “normal” prosthesis will not work – the child continues to grow, and as he grows, the difference in leg length becomes obvious. This can lead to serious spinal deformity and new health problems, not to mention how much it can affect a teenager’s self-esteem. That is why Matvey needed a “growing” prosthesis, i.e. a sliding prosthesis, which would allow him to avoid future troubles with the support system. The cost of such an implant is over 2,000,000 rubles. For an ordinary Russian family, this is an absolutely insurmountable sum.

Sports again helped to raise the necessary funds – while little Matvey was courageously fighting for life in Morozov hospital, hundreds of adults came out to the start of races from the Running Community to help the boy recover and walk again. As a result, the necessary amount of money was raised, and already in September 2019 Matvey had his long-awaited surgery.

“The surgery was successful, Matvey tolerated it normally, but the recovery is long. In addition, Matvey developed osteoporosis, his bones are weak, so there have already been two fractures – one three months after the operation and another one a year later. Now he is re-learning to walk, remembers anew how it was, but he feels good,” shares the boy’s father.

Now that the disease has been defeated, Matvey is returning to normal life, thinking about a career as a programmer and is already making his first successes. The boy’s dream comes true: his new friend is a corgi named Archie.

Thousands of runners from all over Russia have become part of these stories.

ヴャチェスラフ・スマーエフ

Runner

If we want to change the world, we need to start with ourselves. My contribution, however small, makes a huge difference to someone’s life. Whether it’s performing an expensive surgery or purchasing and manufacturing medical devices. Subsequently, every time I see the news that another child has been raised the necessary amount of money to help, I feel proud.

Pride that I did not pass by. And also, when I see the eyes of that child or person who is filled with gratitude for the help, I can hardly hold back my tears. It is something high, inexplicable, when you are ready to give without a second thought.

Runner Anna Semyonova from Belgorod said that she always leaves donations and notes that this moment is very important for her.

Anna Semyonova

Runner

There are quite a lot of problems in the world, and consequently, there are a lot of people who need help. Helping everyone and experiencing their problem is not something everyone can do, so it’s easier to trust a foundation, especially a proven one. They know exactly who and how much support is needed in this period.

All those who are not indifferent, who want to help children right now, without registering for the race, can make a donation on the project’s website. At the same time, you can get acquainted with those who have been helped by the runners and how much money they have given during the period of cooperation between the Running Community and the Life Line Foundation.