Source: Run4Hope press office
Venice, May 18, 2021 – It was held Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at the VEGA Scientific-Technological Park in Mestre (VE), headquarters of UnionCamere Veneto, the press conference for the
presentation of Run4Hope 2021 Massigen, which will start Saturday, May 22 at 11:00 am simultaneously from various Italian regions.
Moderated by Alberto Rizzardi, the conference was opened by Stefano Mei, President of the Italian Athletics Federation (Fidal), who sees the relay race as an event capable of uniting
Italy and hopes that it will help one more child, because a life saved is already a victory.
Antonio Maria Cartolari, President of the Veneto Trentino Alto Adige Committee of the AIRC Foundation wanted to thank the Veneto onlus Run4Hope and its commitment to scientific research in
favor of childhood cancers, highlighting the importance of the commitment of AIRC scientists but also other fundamental aspects, such as movement and lifestyle, thanks to which it is possible to
prevent cancer.
Mario Pozza, President of UnionCamere Veneto, in addition to bringing the greetings of the Veneto business community, as its representative, wanted to thank Run4Hope for this event of
solidarity, which is in the DNA of companies, always attentive to the health of their employees and their families, not only in this period of pandemic. All the Chambers of Commerce in the Veneto
region – in particular the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce – are proud to support Run4Hope because it supports research activities, which are not given the attention they deserve by the media.
The Hon. Paolo Paternoster, member of the V Commission of the Chamber of Deputies – Budget, Treasury and Planning, brought the greetings of the Hon. Giorgio Mulè, Undersecretary of
Defense, who offered the patronage of the Italian Army, and Mr. Cristiano Corazzari, Councillor for Sport of Veneto.
Paternoster sees in Run4Hope a sign of renaissance after a difficult period and describes it as a fundamental initiative that can give positive results for research and demonstrates once
again the generosity of the territory to support the commitment and efforts of doctors.
Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Capriati, of the Italian Army, brought the greetings of General Massimo Scala. For the Army – said Lt. Col. Capriati – the sponsorship of the
Run4Hope 2021 Massigen is a privilege, because research is the road to recovery from cancer, as seen also with covid-19. The Army will participate wherever there is one of its departments where it
will pass the relay with its own team, sharing the values of tenacity and responsibility.
Massimo Giammetta, President of the Veneto-based non-profit organization Run4Hope Italia, presented the non-profit organization, which was founded with the aim of combining sport and
solidarity and the relay race condenses this spirit, uniting the entire nation with one purpose: to participate in order to contribute to scientific research but also to raise awareness and create
awareness of an important issue such as the fight against childhood cancer.
Speaking of numbers, Giammetta points out that, as the first edition, there are almost 400 associations registered for the Run4Hope 2021 Massigen and 500 stages planned, thanks to the
efforts of the regional Run4Hope committees that have conceived, developed and created them, passing through the most significant places of each territory, from the Valley of the Temples in
Agrigento to Valentino Park in Turin.
But there will also be very significant stages such as those in Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, in the places linked to Francesca Barbieri, a blogger known as Fraintesa, who died just over a
month ago due to breast cancer but is still present thanks to the commitment of her friends and the large community she managed to create, thanks to her activity as a travel blogger.
An important aspect that the president wanted to highlight: the participants of each relay will run spaced out and in reduced numbers, in compliance with the regulations to contain the
virus. President Giammetta‘s expectation is to increase the participation of everyone, sportsmen and women, because the goal is not the victory but the participation, because it is
addressed to all the people who want to support scientific research, giving back to the community what has been received.
The FIDAL Federal Councillor, with responsibility for running, Carlo Cantales, was also in touch and said he was proud to see the Fidal world contribute so much to this event, because it is:
an occasion that launches so many messages from the world of sport, starting with the desire to participate, to be together and to do sport, and allows athletes to return to running carrying the
baton of hope and awareness that everyone can do their part, contributing to an important fundraising event.
Orlando Pizzolato, two-time winner of the New York Marathon (1984 and 1985) and advisor of Run4Hope, highlighted how running, which is not a team sport, can create a strong spirit of union
thanks to the relay, working together to carry the baton with all its strength.
Surprisingly, there was also the intervention of Manuela Levorato, former sprinter twice bronze medalist at the European Championships, silver and bronze at the Mediterranean Games and
multiple Italian champion and now vice-president of FIDAL Veneto – present in connection also the President Francesco Uguagliati – in connection from the Palace of the Region of Padua in
Piazza delle Erbe, where the Run4Hope 2021 Massigen will pass on Saturday, May 29.
On May 22 from all over Italy the Run4Hope Italia 2021 Massigen, the relay race pro AIRC Saturday, May 22, 2021 will start Run4Hope Italia 2021 – Massigen, in its first edition structured
in regional relays in non-competitive form that will end Sunday, May 30.
Participants will not have chronometric or competitive comparisons but rather the goal of promoting and supporting AIRC researchers engaged in discovering new therapeutic forms to treat
childhood cancers.
This is an initiative articulated on regional relays that take place simultaneously throughout Italy, starting from the regional capitals or other significant cities. The protagonist of the event
is the Venetian non-profit organization Run4Hope Italy, alongside the AIRC Foundation in 2021 and 2023 and AIL in 2022 in 2024: a relay race in the relay race to mark the first
period of the project between the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games and Paris 2024.
The goal is to get people moving, from the north to the south of italy. Every step of the race and every donation, small or large, will be essential to support the two beneficiary
organizations, in the name of sport and solidarity. The event is therefore intended to unite and reunite the Italian running world, also strongly limited by the covid-19 pandemic. A sort of
general restart of a movement that in recent decades has grown thanks to many events starting from the great international marathons.
Regional relays between 22 and 30 May – running against childhood cancer
The non-competitive running relays will start at the same time on Saturday, May 22 and will end on Sunday, May 30, 2021.
Individual runners, experienced runners, sports associations, corporate groups and spontaneous, will be involved in an exciting Tour of Italy that will travel the baton Run4Hope Italy in their
region. The runners will bring a message of solidarity and hope by committing themselves to donations for AIRC, also through the Rete del Dono portal that will allow to involve friends and
acquaintances in the collection. Individual runners can also register on the enternow.it website and participate in virtual mode, keeping track of the route through the TDS app.
The regional capitals will be the privileged reference points for departures and/or arrivals and the routes will be developed on the basis of the indications of the regional committees supporting
Run4Hope, which have been formed in recent months thanks in particular to the Fidal world: clubs, regional and provincial committees and organizers of major running events.
The Italian Army sponsors Run4Hope 2021 Massigen
The Italian Army has granted its prestigious patronage to Run4Hope 2021 Massigen highlighting the national importance of the initiative, thanks to the solidarity purpose of the regional relays
that from hand to hand will carry the baton, a message of altruism and commitment of AIRC researchers. Values fully shared by the great family of the Italian Army that makes the courage,
professional training, sense of duty, responsibility, tenacity, esprit de corps and self-sacrifice, the cardinal principles on which it is based and to which every soldier is inspired every day.
Sponsorships granted
In addition to the patronage of the Italian Army, Run4Hope 2021 has obtained the patronage, in the sports field, of Fidal – Italian Federation of Athletics, CSI – Italian Sports Center – FIASP –
Italian Federation of Amateur Sports for All, and AIC – Italian Footballers Association.
On an institutional level, concessions were made by: Union Camere Veneto, Chamber of CommerceIAA of Vicenza and the Regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Piedmont,
Puglia, Valle d’Aosta, Autonomous Province of Trento, Tuscany, Lombardy, Veneto. In addition to these, the City of Vicenza, where the Onlus has its headquarters and the starting/finishing point
of the Venetian Relay Race, has been added.
The Lions Clubs International Foundation will also support the event by participating with several clubs in some areas, in particular in Veneto, Piedmont and Trentino Alto Adige.
Supporters
Run4Hope has found the resources and energy to take shape and launch the first edition thanks to a group of companies that have decided to link their name and their image to the pro-ARC charity
relay race. The main sponsor of the event will be Massigen, joined by other partners such as Löwengrube, Cemes – Salute Group CDV, se.fa.mo, Gruppo Cecchin Costruzioni Edili, Patavium Energia,
Roberto Coin, Autoserenissima and Butterfly punto prelievi.
The regional relays: the places of Run4Hope from Bolzano to Agrigento
The baton of Run4Hope Italia 2021 Massigen will pass from hand to hand throughout Italy thanks to the more than 300 registered sports associations and numerous runners registered individually.
For each region, the route has been defined by regional committees, composed of sports groups with the support of regional and provincial Fidal committees. Privileged as places of departure and
arrival were the regional capitals, with some variations such as in the case of Veneto, where Vicenza was chosen as the place of reference, since the promoting non-profit organization is based in
the city of Palladio.
The Ligurian relay race was also brought forward and combined with the relay race event La Liguria che riparte di corsa (Liguria starts running again) held on May 8 and 9. For reasons related to
the covid situation, the relay race in Molise has been postponed.
Here are the locations of departure (22/5) and arrival (30/5) of the relay: Abruzzo, L’Aquila (p/a); Basilicata, Grassano (departure) – Matera (arrival); Calabria, Castrovillari
(departure) – Reggio Calabria (arrival); Campania, Napoli (p/a); Emilia Romagna, Bologna (departure) – Piacenza (arrival); Friuli Venezia Giulia, Muggia (p) – Trieste (a); Lazio foreseen events
of departure in Rome (Caracalla Stadium), Viterbo, Frosinone and Sabaudia with independent developments and closing on May 30 with a special event promoted by the Nuova Podistica Latina along the
Via Francigena that will embrace Run4Hope and AIRC joining the Abbey of Fossanova with that of Valvisciolo; Lombardy, Milan departure from City Life Park and arrival near Piazza Gae Aulenti;
Marche: departures from Urbino, Pergola and Camerino and arrival in Ancona; Piedmont, Turin, departure from Piazza San Carlo and arrival at Valentino Park; Apulia, departures from Spongano,
Ischitella and Gravina with arrival of the various branches in Bari; Sardinia: Cagliari (p), Sassari (a); Sicily, Agrigento Valle dei Templi and Alcamo for departures – arrival of the two
branches in Messina; Tuscany, Florence (p/a); PA of Trento, Riva del Garda (p), Trento (a); Autonomous Province of Bolzano, citizen event in Bolzano on May 30; Umbria: Perugia (p/a); Valle
d’Aosta (in definition for the orange zone currently in effect).
Among the many places of interest, unique scenarios will be crossed, such as the Valley of the Temples in Sicily, Piazza Brà in Verona, the olive groves of the Gargano in Puglia, Piazza Unità
d’Italia in Trieste, the Comacchio Valley in Emilia and the rugged coast of Sardinia.
The indications of the routes and stages are available on the official website of Run4Hope in the section “Run with us”, at the following link:
https://www.run4hope.it/il-percorso.
Relay races in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna dedicated to #Fraintesa
On April 2, 2021 Francesca Barbieri, blogger, runner and journalist passed away due to cancer. The wave of affection towards her seems endless. This is demonstrated by the fact that the
fundraiser in her memory promoted by some friends for AIRC has exceeded 155 thousand euros in a few weeks. The Onluns Run4Hope, in agreement with the promoters of this first collection, is
promoting a specific collection by naming the relays of Lombardy (where she lived and worked) and Emilia-Romagna (where her family lives in San Prospero, near Modena; a specific stage is also
planned) to the memory of the journalist with the motto #GrazieFraintesa.
The witness realized by Paolo Albertelli
The witness was designed by the Piedmontese artist Paolo Albertelli: its shape in fact recalls the shape of the DNA molecule, formed by two polynucleotide chains paired and wrapped around the
same axis, to form a helix.
DNA is the fundamental basis of life and the baton is the emblem of scientific research and the efforts of the researchers of the AIRC Foundation, engaged every day to study new solutions to make
cancer more and more curable.
Why we run for the cure of childhood cancer
Every year in Italy, cancer affects about 1,400 children up to 14 years of age, but thanks to constant progress in research, today about 75% of children are completely cured and 82% are alive
five years after diagnosis. In the 1970s, this percentage was only 30%. An important milestone, achieved thanks to the work of researchers who certainly cannot stop, because there are still many
young patients who need treatment.
The most frequent pediatric tumors affect the blood, tissues and bones, but thanks to AIRC researchers and their commitment, they can be defeated and children can be cured.
This is why Run4Hope Italia Onlus wanted to organize a charity running relay race, running all together: to support scientific research and help those who help to heal.
Every 25 thousand euros raised by Run4Hope will go to fund the work of a young researcher for 1 year, ensuring continuity to research projects.
The words of the protagonists
We are almost there and finally Run4Hope can start. It is a rare event for our country: you run for a specific goal that is not sporting, but a charitable cause. Run4Hope was not created to be
a purely sporting event, but primarily to raise awareness – says Massimo Giammetta, president of the non-profit Run4Hope -. We want to draw attention to specific causes for which to
increase people’s awareness to show how important it is to join forces when touching important issues such as solidarity.
I want to thank the organizers for having involved us in this first edition of Run4Hope, an adventure that started in our region and then expanded to the whole country – says Antonio
Maria Cartolari, President of the Veneto Trentino Alto Adige Committee of the AIRC Foundation -. An event that combines sport and research with the aim of raising new resources to be
allocated to the work of our scientists engaged in developing increasingly effective and less toxic therapies to treat all young patients. The research has obtained very important results, but
the road is still long, so it is necessary to continue to invest in the work of our scientists.
AIRC | Since 1965 with courage, against cancer
AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research supports innovative scientific projects thanks to a transparent and constant fundraising, spreads scientific information, promotes the culture of prevention in
homes, squares and schools. It counts on 4.5 million supporters, 20 thousand volunteers and 17 regional committees that guarantee to over 5,000 researchers – 61% women and 51% ‘under 40’ – the
necessary resources to bring the results from the laboratory to the patient in the shortest possible time. In over 50 years of commitment AIRC has distributed over 1 billion and six hundred
million euros for the funding of cancer research (data updated to January 15, 2021). Information and insights on
www.airc.it.
