Run for a cure Africa

There are many ways to use sport as either a CSR initiative or as a means for personally fundraising for a charity of your choice. Sporting activities for good are not entirely new to Nigeria, but it appears that this approach has become even more popular in recent times. This year already in Lagos, there’s been Ebele Mbanugo’s Run For A Cure Africa in aid of breast cancer, and the Lagos City Marathon powered by Access Bank. But the more interesting examples are perhaps the smaller, more unusual events where the organisers have to engage as many supporters and partners as possible to make it happen. 

For example, RydeFit, who recently held its second annual spinning marathon for charity had a long list of partners: Ace Charity, Jabi Lake Mall, Eva Water, CCX Lounge, Hygeia HMO, The Wedding Mall, Cool FM Lagos and Kahera Travels. Adegbe Ogbeh confirms that at the time of planning the first event, they realised that no one in Nigeria had ever hosted a non stop 24-hour fitness event before: “For us the challenge was to be the first and to channel that energy and awareness to donations.” Their fundraisers are 24-hour marathon fitness events and for the second edition, the organisers promised “bigger, better and bolder,” and they certainly delivered by raising a total of N3,543,928.00!

The aim of the fundraiser was to buy 500 pairs of shoes for 500 students of the LEA Primary School Apo Village, Abuja, and this was achieved in record time. The more fun and energising an event is, the more likely it would be a success. Spinning is indeed a global phenomenon and Rydefit24 proved this point with the incredible attendance of its supporters and the amazing energy from the start, to a fantastic finish.

Charity fundraisers aside, there are many social benefits to sport, the promotion of better mental wellbeing, the encouragement of team-work, some competition if a race is involved and of course pushing yourself to your limit. With all these ingredients fused together and in the case of spinning marathon where you can be “fuelled with the feeling of a full class, great music and a standout instructor (such as Akuchukwu, Tosin, Clement, Divine, Esther or John),” you cannot go wrong.