“Beyond the physical achievement, the experience was made more meaningful knowing we helped people in need by doing something we loved.” This is how TV and movie actress Meg Imperial describes her experience as one of the celebrity team leaders of Run With Me X.
Run With Me X, now in its fourth year, is Resorts World Manila’s annual celebrity charity run. This year’s event, happening on August 25 at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds, is part of the integrated resort’s 10th anniversary celebration.
Imperial won Run With Me 2017. “I was happy and proud to win Run With Me 2017, of course,” she said, adding, “It was also a lot of fun to run alongside my friends from the showbiz industry and of course, the fans.”
Joining Imperial in her return to Run With Me as a celebrity team leader is TV host and model Rovilson Fernandez who has joined Run With Me every year as a team leader since it was opened up to the public in 2017.
“I’m an active guy, and getting me to sign up to endorse an activity that encourages people to get fit would have been easy enough,” said Fernandez.
He added, “The fact that we raise millions for charity makes it a no-brainer. Run With Me is the sort of event that deserves people’s time and energy, because just by signing up, you’re already a winner because it means you’ve already helped someone.”
Celebrity running coach Rio dela Cruz, best known for helping popularize the sport of running in the Philippines, has also been working with RWM from the very first Run With Me when it was just an RWM employee-exclusive event in 2016.
His running organization RUNRIO has been RWM’s event partner, helping the company with race logistics and even providing expert advice to race participants with the Run With Me Run Clinics in the months leading up to the race.
“I’ve always advocated running as a sport and hobby, and I’m happy that so many Filipinos are now into running,” enthused Coach Rio. “We’ve helped organize hundreds of races over the years, but Run With Me holds a special place in my heart because it lets us give back to the community through the millions we raise for charity.”
RWM, through Run With Me and two smaller employee charity runs in 2014 and 2015, has raised nearly P10 million pesos for charity, with the help of nearly 10,000 runners.
Beneficiary charities over the years include HERO Foundation, YesPinoy Foundation, ERDA Tech Foundation, Right Start Community Development, Inc., Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines, Empowering Brilliant Minds Foundation, and more.
Interested runners may register online through www.runwithme.ph.