With the theme "Run for Strong Kids," on the morning of October 21, more than 1,000 professional and amateur athletes participated in the Mottainai Run 2023 as part of the Mottainai Festival "Give Love – Receive Happiness" in 2023.
This was a particularly meaningful running event with the spirit of "Give Love – Receive Happiness," organized by the Vietnam Women Newspaper, which took place over two days on October 21 and 22 in the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square - Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian street area, Hanoi.
The event is part of a series of activities commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023), 93 years since the establishment of the Vietnam Women's Union (1930-2023), and 75 years of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Women's Newspaper (1948-2023). The participants in the Mottainai Run 2023 aimed to share and assist underprivileged children.
The run included two distances: the "Green Life" segment – one lap around Hoan Kiem Lake (about 1.7km) and the "Happiness" segment – three laps around Hoan Kiem Lake (about 5.7km). Throughout their run, the athletes had bright smiles, serving as a form of spreading the spirit of compassion and sharing from the Mottainai Program "Give Love – Receive Happiness”.
In the afternoon, at the commemoration ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the Mottainai program "Give Love, Receive Happiness," the organizers awarded scholarships and gifts to 300 orphaned children affected by traffic accidents, COVID-19, and children facing difficulties in provinces and cities nationwide.
As part of the Mottainai Festival, there was also the Mottainai Bazaar, with dozens of booths and various interactive activities and team games. On the evening of October 21, the "Give Love, Receive Happiness" music gala took place at the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square area, featuring the participation of many popular singers and models.
The Mottainai Run 2023 was a great success, contributing to spreading the spirit of compassion and sharing in the community. The Mottainai Program of the Vietnam Women Newspaper has become the largest used goods donation program in Vietnam, with a humanitarian purpose and a celebration of a Green lifestyle. After nine seasons, the program has attracted over 500,000 participants, benefiting nearly 6,000 disadvantaged children.
