Poland Business Run – charity race worth your attention

CSR models (Corporate Social Responsibility) gain recognition in many institutions worldwide. International organisations understand that defining ethical guidelines which describe their philosophy may be crucial to modern business and charity is often a big part of this image. In the fast-paced world such activities are perceived not only as an image-building tool, but also as an opportunity to give back and reflect on modern societies.

The necessity to organise charitable activities like that is proven by the eagerness of participants, who usually do not need much convincing. Employees, who may feel stuck in a rut, find the sense of purpose and rediscover their own value by participating in said projects. Research shows that CSR activities help companies in marketing, attract new employees and maintain engagement of those already employed.

Poland Business Run might be regarded as a CSR activity, but it has proven to be even more than that. This annual sports event is unique because of its uniting force – its participants consist of people employed in various business organisations across Poland. They share one goal – running in order to help the cause set in the run’s mission.

So far there have been four editions of the run and September 4^th will mark the fifth event in the series. What makes Poland Business Run special? This year, seven cities will contribute to the common cause, so if you work in Warsaw, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Katowice or Gdańsk, you can already sign up. Each city chooses people who will benefit from the run given year. Since runners are passionate about this sports discipline, they want to help those who cannot participate in such events. Every run raises money for prostheses, which are later gifted to people with disabilities who cannot walk and run. As the beneficiaries needing support are known long before the race, it makes the participants even more motivated to do their best – a bond is created between a runner and a person in need.

Statistics are impressive. In 2015 there were 13,635 participants and money raised in the run amounted to over PLN 1 million! Participants simply pay entrance fee, but they can also pay some extra sums of money if they want to push your support even further. Maybe your company is also among the run's supporters? The project was initiated by UBS and is sponsored or organised by other big companies, such as Accenture, Credit Suisse, Infosys and more... Do you work in a business organisation in one of the cities participating in the project this year? Do you enjoy running? Do you like helping other people? If your answers is yes, then you are more than invited to check out this project in detail and sign up along with your colleagues!