The light of solidarity with Ukraine: Run for Light charity race unites Vilnius

On a cool evening of September 28, the streets of Vilnius were illuminated with an unusual light - the Run for Light charity race organized by the Ukrainian Youth Organization in Lithuania (UYGL), Lotus Fund, and Nova Post took place.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

This is a race that unites Ukrainians in eleven cities across Europe. In Ukraine, we also joined a large-scale race from Lotus. We are very grateful to them for this initiative. And we, as Ukrainians abroad, also want to join and involve Lithuanians in our initiatives. - explains Anna Humenna, co-founder of the organization.

For 9 years, Nova Post has held 68 running events, and each of them had an important communication value. Hundreds of thousands of participants from around the world ran to support the military, rescuers and heroes of Ukraine. This year we organized the first barrier-free marathon in Ukraine. So, we are happy to support the Run for Light charity race, which once again reminds the world that the war in Ukraine is ongoing. Running, caring and helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine are part of our DNA, commented Olena Plakhova, Director of Reputation Management at Nova Post.

The main goal of the race is to raise funds for generators for Ukraine.

Currently, we have about 100 participants registered. This is if you multiply it by twelve. It turns out to be a pretty good amount. And this entire amount will then go to Ukraine to buy generators, equipment, and supplies that will help the military, doctors, and Ukrainians in general, adds Anna Humenna.

The main goal of the race is to raise funds for generators for Ukraine.

Currently, we have about 100 participants registered. This is if you multiply it by twelve. It turns out to be a pretty good amount. And this entire amount will then go to Ukraine to buy generators, equipment, and supplies that will help the military, doctors, and Ukrainians in general,” adds Anna Humenna.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

Our team constantly looks for new ways to support the military more effectively and engage foreigners and Ukrainians abroad. That's how we decided to launch our first large-scale campaign in Europe to remind about the constant shelling, raise funds for important equipment for the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and most importantly, to unite against the enemy,” says Sergey Lisin, co-founder of Lotus Fund, the largest student foundation with a military focus.

A new signal developed by Nova Poshta was used instead of a traditional gun to start the race.

The goal is to rethink the sound of a gunshot, which can be traumatizing for people with PTSD and veterans. The new starting sound integrates Ukrainian motifs while maintaining modernity. It was tested with veterans and runners under the supervision of neurologists.

The project involved sound designers from Los Angeles, Harvard psychologists, and Kyiv Technical University professors.

The 5 km long route formed the letter “L”. The organizers created a special atmosphere for the participants to experience the realities of life in Ukraine:

We turned off the lights along our route where people were running, they were running with lanterns. Again, this somehow symbolizes these candles that are used in Ukraine in homes and hospitals when there is no light, and there are just these flashlights. So this race somehow symbolizes what is happening in Ukraine, and at the same time shows Lithuanians a little bit of what it's like and gives them a little bit of a feel for this atmosphere. - Anna explains.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

Ukrainian music was played at the event, and everyone was carrying light bulbs and wearing reflective clothing. Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags were waving as the participants ran. Participants were of all ages, including dogs, small children, and even children in strollers. The goal was to teach them from an early age the importance of the urgent problem, adds one of the eyewitnesses.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

The race attracted the attention of not only locals.

My name is Marion, I'm from France, and I just took part in a run in support of Ukraine. It was very nice because I haven't run since I came to Lithuania, so it was my first run here. I enjoyed it, and I thank UYGL for organizing this event, Marion says.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

The event was organized at a high level.

It was one of the few events that went very well. Apart from the weather, which was probably just the wind blowing a few leaves, nothing happened, Anna notes.

As for the volunteers, she adds:

For now, this team of volunteers that you can see now are all members of our team. We want to create some kind of volunteer base that will include not only Ukrainians, because right now our entire team consists of Ukrainians.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

Ninety-two people registered at the beginning of the race. By the end of the race, about eight more had registered, Anna summarizes.

Berenice, a participant from France, adds:

I feel closer to Ukraine and Lithuania, but I think I need to participate in more events organized by the Ukrainian community to better understand their culture. There are many Ukrainians at my university, and they often talk about the war. It helps to feel more empathy when you hear their stories

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

“Run for Light in Vilnius has become not just a sporting event, but a symbol of unity and support that united people of different nationalities around a common goal - helping Ukraine in these difficult times.

Lotus Fund is the largest student charity in Ukraine that unites a global community of active youth, startups, philanthropists and volunteers.

Since 2023, the foundation has been raising funds to provide Ukrainian defenders and medics with drones, tactical equipment, power equipment and other critical resources.

The light of solidarity with Ukraine: The Run for Light charity race united Vilnius / photo: Maria Dziuba

Nova Post is a Ukrainian express delivery company founded in 2001. Its goal is to provide convenient delivery for each customer - to a branch, mailbox, or address. The company provides logistics and distribution services, delivering both documents and the smallest parcels, as well as large cargo.

The company also operates in 14 European countries: Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France, and provides fast and reliable delivery between European countries, as well as to and from Ukraine.