ÏDKIDS community employees have spent another year tackling sporting challenges to raise money for children’s charities through the ÏDKIDS endowment fund. The end result was €7,173 raised!
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On 1 September: a corporate challenge for sportier types — taking part in the Braderie de Lille half marathon or 10km run.
The funds raised will go towards financing the education of 11-to-12-year-olds in Dhaka, with one year of education costing 100 euros. This schooling programme, supported by Okaïdi since 2014, has helped to educate children from ten slums in Bangladesh.
Learn more about our community work in Bangladesh
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On 9 September: family, friends and colleagues of various abilities took part in the Foulées de Ludopital, which included a children’s race, walk, 3 km run and 10 km run.
This charity is active in the children’s wards of hospitals in the Nord département. It makes hospital stays more pleasant for child patients by distributing toys via the hospital staff and improving the layout and décor in the bedrooms, waiting rooms and other living spaces. This helps the hospital feel like a warmer and more welcoming environment, reducing anxiety about the medical procedures themselves.
Learn more about our partnership with Ludopital
Eighty-eight runners and walkers of all ages were there to represent ÏDKIDS, raising €715 for Ludopital!
How it works: each runner had to find sponsors to donate an amount per kilometre (e.g. 50 cents, €1, €5, €10). Sponsors could be co-workers, family members or friends. In addition, the ÏDKIDS endowment fund pledged to double their sponsors’ donations!
- Cécile, management control manager (Braderie de Lille)
“I ran the 10 km race with ÏDKIDS last year and wanted to do it again this year, as I really enjoyed spending time with my colleagues outside of the office. It was also great to be able to have fun while taking party in a charity event and I hope we can educate as many children as we did last year! I especially enjoyed the mini-tunnel section and all the encouragement we received from our supporters. I would do it again in a heartbeat!”
- Pierre, works manager (Braderie de Lille)
“Seeing all the runners representing ÏDKIDS last year and supporting the ÏDKIDS foundation made me want to do it myself this year. And I wanted to take up running again! I registered for the 10 km run and enjoyed taking part in some occasional lunchtime (and even morning) training sessions with my equally motivated colleagues. A sporting challenge is even more worthwhile when it’s for charity, and I’m very proud of the fact that I help raise money for the endowment fund. It motivates you to finish those last few kilometres, as you don’t want to let your “sponsors” down! The best part for me was the supporters. My colleagues, friends and family made it an unforgettable experience. Bring on next year!”
- Vincent, area manager France (Braderie de Lille)
“I ran the half marathon. To start with I wasn’t planning to register, but I was motivated by the idea of raising money for the endowment fund. It was an amazing experience, as I got to share it with other ÏDKIDS runners. Since we all had the same goal, we encouraged and supported each other throughout the race. It was also a great way to meet colleagues from other departments. Most importantly, I hope we raised a substantial amount to help educate children. It was magical being part of such a motivated group. Thank you to the ÏDKIDS spectators whose encouragement helped us get through the race.”
- Pauline, community manager (Foulées de Ludopital)
“I registered my 4-year-old daughter for the children’s race (500 m):
To help her learn about charity and sharing: I had to draw on my best teaching skills to explain that we were running to raise money she couldn’t actually see (she loves her piggy bank with its jingling coins) and that the money would be used to buy toys for sick children (and not for her)!
To spend some quality time as a family: we ran together, and our family cheered us on (by the way, I can’t run further than 1 km so I had a good reason to join her)!
It was a lovely, sunny day and the kids were very impressed by the motivational drums on the sidelines. Louise went home with a medal, a goody bag and a bunch of balloons that the organizers let her have at the end of race! Next year I’m going to run the 1 km race with her, and her 3-year-old sister will run in the 500 m race.”
- Denis, communication manager, Rigolo Comme La Vie (Foulées de Ludopital)
“Last year we ran as a family to support Ludopital, and when I suggested to the kids that we do it again this year they were well up for it. Robin is 6 and Gaspard is 4, so they understand what the event is all about and that we are running to raise money for Ludopital. Also, Gaspard had to go into hospital in December 2017 and was lucky enough to receive some toys from Ludopital to make his hospital stay more enjoyable.
As well as doing the run, we regularly sort through the boys’ toys and games at home and give the ones they no longer play with to other children to “put a smile on their face”.
Running as a family in a Ludopital race gives you a real sense of community belonging. I can’t wait for next year when the challenge will be to surpass 100 ÏDKIDS and Rigolo Comme La Vie participants (there were 15 in 2017 and 88 this year)!”
- Lucie, ÏDKIDS purchasing department trainee (Foulées de Ludopital)
“I am at ÏDKIDS for a six-month work placement and I was really keen to get involved with the foundation. I decided to take part in a team sports challenge with two other trainees and two managers. The race was great, and the atmosphere and music were joyful. Even the weather played ball, and I was still in a good mood on Monday morning! I had never taken part in either a race or a corporate event, but now I want to do it all again.”
- Ludovic, retail supplier (Foulées de Ludopital)
“I congratulate Rigolo Comme La Vie on its Ludopital initiative, which I admire even more now that I am a father. I wanted to do my bit to support the work ÏDKIDS does in the community. It was a great race, and it gave us the opportunity to run through the recently remodelled Barbieux Park. Bring on the next one!”
- Elodie, Rigolo Comme La Vie crèche director (Foulées de Ludopital)
“I wanted to take part in Foulées de Ludopital with my family because it’s a very worthwhile cause. My 5-year-old daughter took part in the 500-metre children’s race, and she looked so proud when she crossed the finish line and I explained to her that she had raised money to buy toys for children in hospital! It’s a small but significant gesture for a child and I hope that she will grow up with the idea that it’s important to share. We’re ready for next year
