Charity Run held in Sakhalin with support and participation of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The 3^rd Charity Run held with the support and participation of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk took place at a roller skiing track in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on July 29, 2017. The purpose of the event was to collect voluntary donations in favor of the local Mayachok (“Beacon”) children's social rehabilitation center.

Hundreds of people – locals and visitors – gathered on the track to support the event on their own or together with their families, colleagues or fellow athletic association members. They all came to offer their help to minors who are under the care of the Mayachok center.

Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of the Sakhalin Region, Anton Zaitsev, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government for Social Issues, Sergey Burenkov, Minister of Sports and Youth Policy of the Sakhalin Region, renowned athletes, and social activists were among the participants of the event organized by Krylya Sakhalina, a regional NGO.

“Our company executes a variety of social and charity projects with many people joining to help. Today's Charity Run is one of those projects. It is a powerful resource that can be used to support many initiatives in the areas of culture, education, and sports,” said Vladimir Krokha, Director General of Gazprom Dobycha Shelf Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Shortly before the start of the event, young runners from Mayachok shared their appreciation for the charity initiative launched for the social rehabilitation center. In order to get fit for the run, they had started training in advance, making several major laps at a time. They said that the rehabilitation center was in need of additional sports equipment, such as pull-up bars, still rings, and basketball hoops. According to Elena Filippova, Acting Director of Mayachok, the center was represented at the event by 23 volunteers – 15 children aged from 6 to 14 and 8 employees. The total number of participants, including amateurs and professionals, exceeded 300.

The winners in four categories were identified at the finish line: 6-year old Anastasia Lvova (girls), Yaroslav Stetsko (young male adults), Olga Metropolskaya (young female adults), and Fyodor Pervushin from the Sakhalin Football Club, who won the race in the male category and in the final standing. Each of them received a commemorative prize.