"Chestnut Run" participants joined a global solidarity campaign with refugees and IDPs

The most large-scale traditional sports event in Ukraine took place in Kyiv on 26^th May 2019. Since 1993 it has been held annually on Kyiv Day (the last week of May). This year the organizers encouraged the “Chestnut Run” participants to make a symbolic solidarity act with refugees and IDPs and dedicate their kilometres as part of UNHCR campaign “2 billion kilometers to safety”.

During the event at the very central street in Kyiv, the UNHCR Ukraine team was inviting runners to provide their signature in case they were willing to dedicate their run to the UNHCR's campaign. 105 people have provided their signatures.

Today there are more than 68 million forcibly displaced people with a little more than 1.3 million of them in Ukraine – those, who suffered as a result of conflict ongoing in Eastern Ukraine.

To celebrate World Refugee Day next month, a global campaign "1 billion miles/2 billion kilometers" (the distance refugees cover each year to reach safety) has been launched (more details about the campaign: https://stepwithrefugees.org/en/Link is external.

The idea of the campaign is to express our support and solidarity with those who have become forcibly displaced.

The campaign involves downloading the steps and kilometers tracker app on your mobile phone (FitbitLink is external or StravaLink is external) through which users can record their steps and mileage (run, cycling) to the global total, thus contributing to sport movement on all continents, and helping to collect the necessary "1 billion miles/2 billion kilometers". It is also possible to add kilometers recorded by other apps. In addition, participants will be able to donate to support assistance programs for the displaced persons.

Each time they run, walk, cycle or ride a skateboard, “Chestnut Run” participants can download one of the recommended apps adding their mileage to the global total to support the displaced or add their mileage manually through campaign’s website https://stepwithrefugees.org/en/Link is external.

We appreciate participation of every person in the “Chestnut Run” and express our gratitude to those who demonstrated solidarity with those who lost everything and were forced to seek security in other corners of our and other countries.

 

WEBSITE of the Chestnut Run in Kyiv, Ukraine https://probeg.kiev.ua/Link is external

CONTACTS:

UNHCR: Viktoria Andriyevska, +380504138404, andrievs@unhcr.org

“Chestnut Run”: PR-manager Olga Zhuravliova, +38 063 781 7213, pr@probeg.kiev.ua