Rotary Club Raises Funds for Children with Congenital Heart Defects

Triathletes in Cebu will get a chance to help the less-fortunate children in the First Rotary Corporate Triathlon on June 11 in Mactan.

The event, organized by the Rotary Club of Cebu, hopes to raise funds for the Gift of Life program, which funds the operation of poor children with congenital heart defects.

“We started with the Gift of Life Program 10 years ago and when we saw how the operations changed the life of the beneficiaries, we decided to continue to hold fund-raising events,” said Rotary Club of Cebu president Bernard Sia.

“All the sponsorship and proceeds of the event will got to the Gift of Life program.”

Gift of Life chairman Edward Tanting said the group has 12 children scheduled for operation, which costs between PHP100,000 and PHP700,000.

“The sport of triathlon will be a chance for the athletes to help the children. Aside from the athletes, we are also accepting sponsorships from individuals or companies,” said Sia, who promised that proceeds from sponsors will go directly to the program.

The race is also organized by the CornerStone Group, which organizes the 8080 triathlon.

It will have the elite, age group, relay and corporate team of six divisions.

The top three racers in the men’s and women’s divisions of the elite class will receive cash prizes, while the winners in the other divisions will get gift checks.

Registration fee is PHP4,000 for the individual category, PHP8,000 for the relay division and PHP20,000 for the Corporate Challenge.

Organizers hope to attract 400 to 500 triathletes, so they can raise some PHP1.6 million to PHP2 million from registration fees alone. (PNA)FPV/EB/MP/EBP