In July this year Onyria Golf Resorts are again promoting and taking part in a 260k run to raise funds for a national cancer charity. Last year, the inaugural event covered the distance from the Lisbon area to the Algarve region. Starting in Cascais at the award-winning Onyria Marinha Edition Hotel & Thalasso and its adjacent sister property Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort the finishing line is the world-renowned Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort in Lagos. The event enjoyed fantastic success and significantly raised the profile of the Portuguese Association Against Leukaemia (APCL).
Such was the great success of the 30-hour run that Onyria staff vowed to make it an annual fundraising event with participants able to opt for distances of 10, 20 or 30 kilometres. More than 1,000 people are expected to participate in the initial part of this year’s event – a 10k or 4k run in Cascais. The Onyria employees team will continue to Lagos and be led once again by sales director, João Pinto Coelho, 35, and who proudly explained the team’s motivation.
“Last year we were inspired to run what we thought would be a one-off event in support of one of our young colleagues, 22-year-old Rafael, a bell boy at Onyria Marinha Edition Hotel & Thalasso, who was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukaemia. But it proved so successful – both in terms of fundraising and bonding – that we decided we would make it an annual event.
“We felt the unique nature of our event – employees running between two sister properties 260km apart – would help draw attention to the disease and further illustrate the important role of the Portuguese Association Against Leukemia (APCL). And it did! What’s more, it raised some very valuable money for a hugely worthwhile charity.
“This year the charity will support the Casa Porto Seguro project which aims to create a place where family members and patients on treatment in the Lisbon leukemia treatment centre can stay overnight while they are supporting family and friends. Currently, family members and patients, for reasons of economic hardship, are often sleeping on the street, in cars or in other places of little worth.
“The APCL intends to meet this challenge and we will help by developing the project. The money raised through the run registration will go to APCL and the finance of the Safe House project. So, we will even be able to see something tangible for our efforts in the future. We’re eager to get going and have been training hard.”
Family and friends of the Lisbon-Lagos runners have the opportunity to help in the fundraising by participating in a 10km run or 4km walk in the unique setting of the Guincho Beach Road in Cascais which precedes the start of the 260km ‘marathon’ on July 5. As the first runner crosses the line, the run to Lagos, Algarve will begin. An individual entry fee of €10 will also go to APCL.
To donate to the Onyria Golf Resorts campaign to raise money in the fight against acute myeloblastic leukaemia, please visit and/or register for the race at http://xistarca.pt/eventos/onyria-running-challenge-2015.