Running with Světluška

Plastic feelers on the headbands are swinging to and fro, light of headlamps is glimmering all around. Ready, steady… go! More than 700 participants of the Night Run for Světluška have just started their run through Lužánky park in Brno, our employees running among them.

It was decided that our company would support a good thing and participate in the series of Night Runs for Světluška. All the proceeds from the admission fees – the full starting fee of CZK 400.00 per a runner – is entered to the account of the Světluška project of the Czech Radio’s Endowment Fund, which helps blind persons. Thus, as early as on 12 April our employees from the Prague branch enjoyed the amazing atmosphere of the 5-km long run through darkened Stromovka. A week later, the team of 9 more enthusiasts from our company was ready at the start in Lužánky park in Brno. The employees from the Zlín branch also participated in the series of charitable runs; on 29 April, they set out to join the swarm of fireflies in Olomouc, where they could enjoy the run in Bezručovy sady. Overall, 12 employees participated in the charitable events and ran 50 km through the night terrain lit only by the headlamps to support a good thing.

How did we like this unusual experience?

„The energy and enthusiasm of the people around were omnipresent. It didn’t matter whether you ran fast or slowly. You didn’t even have to run at all, just walking you were helping, too, and that was what mattered,“ Jitka Bláhová, an event manager from M Computers, said about the event.

Ondřej Kindl, a sales manager, and her colleague agrees: „The atmosphere was great. I sometimes go running but I had never run so late at night, using a headlamp, and with that many other runners around. It was an interesting experience. I’ll certainly run again next year.”

Hanka Hunková, an assistant, enjoyed her first footrace in her life: „The feel of the race was unrepeatable. The glowing line of the runners on the track was amazing, as was the fervour of all the participants who ran to support a good thing, helping to light up the world of blind people…I was honoured!“

„A perfect combination for those who want to engage in sports and help people in need at the same time,” said Martin Petr, an IT specialist, about the event.

What is Světluška?

Světluška (or the ‘Firefly’ in English) is a long-term project of the Czech Radio’s Endowment Fund, which helps children and adults with serious visual impairment. It supports those who have to face the everyday challenge of learning to live in darkness again and again – being deprived of one of the most important human senses. Světluška’s light has been shining since 2003 and more than 80,000 volunteers and millions of donors have been engaged in the project so far. Here you can read more about the fund (but only in Czech language).