Fun Run launched

THE 2018 Trukai Fun Run is set to go following the official launching of the event at the Royal Papua Yacht Club in Port Moresby yesterday by the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee with support from sponsor Trukai Industries Limited.
The Fun Run is PNGOC’s single largest fundraising event for Team PNG. Money raised helps Team PNG athletes attend various international sporting events. The annual Fun Run event is a PNGOC initiative, which commenced 35 years ago in 1983. Trukai Industries has been the major sponsor since 2000, making this its 19th year of sponsorship.
The Fun Run takes place on Sun, June 24, with an estimated 80,000 participants across the country expected to be part of the early morning family event.
The launch also featured the revealing of the Trukai Fun Run shirt designs for 2018 which sport a special message about the Sustainable Development Goals.
These were modelled by Team PNG athletes and school students. Trukai Industries is again sponsoring 100,000 shirts this year.
Organisations will bid for shirts during auctions in Lae and Port Moresby on March 7-8.
Those who buy the shirts have the opportunity to put their logo on the shirts and donate to selected schools.
The schools can then resell the shirts at a price not exceeding K10 to those interested in participating in the Fun Run. They then can keep this money for their school projects.
Funds raised from this year’s shirt sales will go towards sending Team PNG to the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in April.
“The Trukai Fun Run has been a great supporter of Team PNG and it has also provided extra support for schools, institutions and individuals through the prizes and programmes that are on offer during the event,” Team PNG chef de mission to the Commonwealth Games, Tamzin Wardley, said.
Wardley thanked Trukai Industries for supporting the event and invited the business community to be part of this year’s Trukai Fun Run.
The Sports Vice-Minister Wesley Raminai joined Wardley in thanking Trukai and also encouraged other organisations to be involved in the run.
“Our athletes sacrifice a lot to be where they are and we are proud of their achievements. Through the Trukai Fun Run we can be able to give them our support to motivate and push them on in their individual pursuit for excellence,” Raminai said
“Sports is a great tool for development.
“It has the power to bring about positive change in our people and our communities and I encourage everyone to be involved with the Fun Run,” Raminai said
Speaking at the launch, Trukai Industries Ltd national marketing manager Maybellyn Fernandes called on local organisations across the country to partner with the PNGOC and Trukai to host the Fun Run event in their local towns. She also urged the public and private sectors to buy shirts.
She said the Fun Run is a part of the company’s extensive corporate social responsibility programme and one of the largest in that through this single event, Trukai is able to give back to the community through its PNG athletes, schools and local business partners.
“For Trukai Industries, this will be our 19th year to sponsor the Fun Run and this would not have been possible without the great support from our partners, especially the corporate community that join us annually to support this major event,” Fernandes said.
Interested organisations wanting more information on the Fun Run and how to be involved in the auctions can contact the PNG Olympic Committee on 323 0114, 325 1411 or e-mail: [email protected] .
They can also contact Trukai Industries Ltd on 321 3530 or e-mail: [email protected].