Avon Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer Manila Run on October 13

Avon invites You to Do Something Beautiful Against Breast Cancer

Register for this year’s Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer (KGBC) Manila Run beginning August 12

Up to this day, breast cancer remains the top killer of Filipino women, creating an urgent call to every individual—not just those afflicted with the disease—to step up and take part in the fight against this life-threatening condition.

Simply knowing such facts does not change things, but concrete action towards better prevention, treatment and support, in whatever form, can go a long way. Avon, the foremost corporate advocate of breast cancer, invites every Filipino to seize the opportunity to do something through the 2013 Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer (KGBC) fundraising event.

Since its Philippine launch in 2002, it has been Avon KGBC’s  mission to help provide access to care and support to medically under-served women. This year, the company for women is once again leading the charge to gain further support for the cause by launching the ‘Do Something Beautiful Against Breast Cancer’ Campaign, the idea behind which is simple enough – it speaks to the Filipino’s innate trait of being matulungin or helpful, doing something for someone because you are capable and are willing to help another in need.

GMA 7 star Solenn Heussaff, the cause’s newest ambassador, joins Avon in inviting everyone to concretize their commitment to the fight against breast cancer that culminates with its annual Manila Run Event.

Solenn Heussaff, the cause’s newest ambassador, joins Avon in inviting everyone to concretize their commitment to the fight against breast cancer that culminates with its annual Manila Run Event on October 13, at the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds.

For a registration fee of Php550 for the 5k event and Php700 for the 10k event, individuals will receive the Avon KGBC Race Kit, which already includes a singlet, race number and giveaway. Proceeds from the event, which will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds on October 13, will go to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Breast Care Center and selected provincial hospitals.

Registration for the Run will be held beginning August 12, 2013 at the following Chris Sports Branches: SM North Edsa; SM Megamall; SM Mall of Asia; Glorietta 3, Makati; Festival Mall, Alabang; and Fitness and Athletics (The Fort).

You can also register online and get more details about the cause at www.avon.com.ph or facebook.com/AvonPhilippines, and @AvonPH on Twitter and Instagram.

Registration for the Run will be held beginning August 12, 2013 at the following Chris Sports Branches: SM North Edsa; SM Megamall; SM Mall of Asia; Glorietta 3, Makati; Festival Mall, Alabang; and Fitness and Athletics (The Fort). 

Get on your mark, and get ready to Do Something Beautiful Against Breast Cancer. Your active participation not only makes you an agent of change, but also translates into a significant contribution towards the fight against breast cancer.

About Avon  

Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty company, with over $10 billion in annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through approximately 6.5 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives.  Avon's product line includes beauty products, as well as fashion and home products, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, Anew, Skin So Soft, Advance Techniques, and Avon Naturals.  Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany.com.

 

Avon celebrates 35 Years of Making Lives More Beautiful here in the Philippines, strengthens its commitment to provide women with the best in beauty products, unparalleled earning opportunities, and to causes that safeguard the well-being of women, such as the Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer and the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaigns. Learn more about Avon Philippines at www.avon.com.ph. 

A Race from a Different Perspective: AMG Fun Run and PGH Outreach

HP AMG, or Application Management Group, holds an annual fun run which started last year. All proceeds from the event go to a charitable institution. It's one of our company's ways to give back to the community; we're an IT company with a heart.

This blog is a two-part entry - the running event and the charity event.

PART 1: The Race Day
June 6, 2010 - Piazza Mall, McKinley Hills

The AMG Fun Run had three race categories - 3k, 6k and 9k. The route is fairly simple: from Piazza Mall, which is the starting point, runners head to the C-5 road intersection and do their first U-turn there. They then return back to Piazza Mall and continue on the opposite direction, this time heading to the U-turn slot at Lawton Avenue intersection. Once they get back to the Piazza, that completes the 3k route. The 6k and 9k participants just had to do 2 and 3 loops to complete their respective categories.

Surprisingly, as addicted as I am to running, I've decided not to run in this event. I wanted to experience the race on a different perspective, that is, the race marshall's point-of-view.

We arrived 3:30am at the venue to do the race preparations - set-up the race organizer's table and the sound system, prepare the drinks and granola bar giveaways, set-up the water stations as well as the race markers. Delegation of people on who would man particular areas was done. JM and I were assigned at the Lawton Avenue U-turn, with the task of handing out the race necklaces runners would wear, as proof they finished the lap.

Here's a photo of me with runners Dada, Rap and Mils, before we went to our designated spot. Yay to my first race marshall ID!

I brought my digicam with me and I decided to make my own version of Photovendo, taking pictures of runners as they make their U-turn. JM took my picture before participants began to arrive.

During the race, JM and I particularly enjoyed mocking participants who were walking the uphill path. It was a very challenging terrain. You could see the difficulty on the runner's faces on the photographs I took. Lucky me, I didn't run!

Everyone was praying for a rain-free event and thank God He heard our prayers. The race ended, the rewarding ceremony finished, we were able to pack-up, and most of the participants have already gone home before the heavy downpour at McKinley that day.

The event was a big success! Overall, we raised P85,000 which would surely go a mile for our planned charity event. Congratulations to the race organizers!

Part 2: The Charity Event
July 10, 2010 - Philippine General Hospital Pediatric Wards 9 and 11

All proceeds from the AMG Fun Run will go to our chosen institution which is the PGH Pediatric Wards 9 and 11.

During our work shift, we were preparing our giveaways for the kids - boxes containing toiletries and some toys. Here are a few of the volunteers during our packing session:

Most of us are working North America shift, so after our Friday work, with little or no sleep, we proceeded to PGH. We were briefed on how the program would go - visit Ward 9 first then mingle with the kids and their guardians. Hosts from Jollibee would then hold some games, then the Jollibee mascot would make his appearance while we are handing out food to everyone. Finally, we would donate the boxes of medical supplies to the hospital management (most are boxes of syringes which are a big hospital need). We'd do the same things all over again in Ward 11.

It was heart-breaking to see all those kids there in pain. One of the guardians cried when we approached her, telling the story of how she was the only one taking care of her niece, Angelica who had a liver problem. "May mga tao pa palang gusto lang tumulong, tulad nyo," she told us ("There are still people who are willing to help, like you"). Here are some pictures captured with two of the ward patients:

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” The experience left me a heavy heart, but it also gave me such a fulfillment. Thank you AMG, for giving everyone the opportunity to give, even in our own little ways.