As global partner, Allwyn seeks to inspire people all over
the world to run, roll, or walk in the 2024 Wings for Life World
Run to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
LUCERNE, Switzerland,
April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global
sporting stars have come together alongside Allwyn, a leading
multi-national lottery operator, to shine a light on the role of
sport in building a better world. Colin
Jackson, former GB Olympian and world record holder;
Marc Herremans, Belgian wheelchair
Ironman triathlete; and Professor Nick
Webborn CBE, Chair of the British Paralympic Association,
have united alongside Allwyn to encourage people from around the
world to take part in the 2024 Wings for Life World Run on 5 May,
targeting a record one million participants in the world's biggest
simultaneous race.
Established in 2014, The Wings for Life World Run is a uniquely
inclusive global event. All participants start at the same time,
worldwide. There is no fixed finish line, instead the virtual
Catcher Car begins its chase 30-minutes after the start and
increases in speed, passing participants one by one until the last
participant is caught. Once overtaken, you are a finisher. With
hundreds of thousands running, rolling, or walking at the same time
in the world's largest simultaneous race.
100% of all entry fees and donations are given to scientific
research and clinical studies worldwide to find a cure for spinal
cord injuries. The Wings for Life World Run has raised €43m for
Wings for Life, a non-profit foundation which provides funding for
international scientific research on spinal cord injury.
The World Health Organisation estimates there are up to
500,000[1] new spinal cord injuries every year. Depending on the
severity of the injury, that can lead to paralysis, sensory
disturbance, and even breathing problems. These injuries typically
occur as a result of an accident in daily life, which in an instant
drastically changes a person's life. The Wings for Life World Run
unites people from around the world to help change the trajectory
of these injuries by funding cutting-edge research projects.
Professor Nick Webborn CBE, in
addition to acting as Chair of the British Paralympic Association
is a researcher in Paralympic sports medicine and wheelchair tennis
player, who himself suffered a spinal cord injury at a young age
said: "As we approach the Paris
2024 Paralympics, it is a great time to demonstrate the importance
of inclusivity in sports. Spinal cord injury can have a profound
effect on an individual and those around them, and staying
physically active is especially important for disabled people to
maintain their health. The vision of the British Paralympic
Association is 'Through sport, a better world for disabled people'.
The values of Allwyn and the Wings for Life World Run marry
perfectly with this vision, and highlights what makes participating
in this event so valuable. I am delighted to be able to support
Wings for Life to help raise funds to find a cure for spinal cord
injury through research."
Allwyn's three-year agreement as official global partner of the
2024 Wings for Life World Run sees it encouraging over 7,000
employees and others from Austria,
Czech Republic, Switzerland, Greece & Cyprus, UK, and the
United States to participate and raise funds. Allwyn's
partnership with Wings for Life World Run is just one of the
contributions made as part of its commitment to give back to good
causes.
Colin Jackson and Marc Herremans, as Sports Director and
Wheelchair Sports Director for the Wings for Life World Run,
visited Allwyn colleagues at their offices in Watford and
Prague to explain the cause and
impact of the event, and to encourage people to take part.
Marc Herremans commented: "I
have experienced first-hand how a spinal cord injury can transform
your life. With the support of Allwyn colleagues and global
participants in this year's race, we move one step closer to
improving the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries
around the world."
Colin Jackson added: "The
Wings for Life World Run is truly an event like no other. Seeing
the enthusiasm of people to join in, knowing they take part
alongside thousands of others, is always inspiring. Allwyn's
mission to change lives for the better is what the race is all
about, and their support makes our mission possible."
Pavel Turek, Chief Global Brand,
Corporate Communication and CSR Officer at Allwyn said:
"Allwyn's commitment to inclusivity and giving back to good
causes makes our partnership with the Wings for Life World Run a
perfect match. We are proud to be going into our second year as
official global partner to this unique and inspiring event. With
each person wheeling, running, or walking their own race together,
however we take part, we all win."
For more information about Allwyn or Wings for Life World Run,
please visit https://www.allwynentertainment.com/, or
https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en respectively. To sign up to
take part in this year's race, please visit
https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/locations.
Media enquiries
pr@allwynent.com
About Allwyn
Allwyn is a leading multi-national lottery operator. Allwyn
builds better lotteries that return more to good causes by focusing
on innovation, technology, efficiency and safety across a growing
casual gaming entertainment portfolio. The lottery-first approach
of focusing on affordable recreational play has earned Allwyn
leading market positions with trusted brands across Europe in Austria, Czech
Republic, Greece and
Cyprus, Italy, the United
Kingdom, and the United
States (Illinois).
https://www.allwynentertainment.com/
About the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research
Foundation
Worldwide, millions of people are dependent on a wheelchair
after having sustained a spinal cord injury, most often as the
result of a traffic accident or a fall. Wings for Life is a
not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation with the single
mission to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Since 2004, Wings
for Life has funded life-changing research projects and clinical
trials around the globe. While a cure is still to be found, steady
progress has been made. Every step taken at the Wings for Life
World Run is a step in the right direction, because 100%
of entry fees and donations goes to spinal cord injury
research: www.wingsforlife.com.
About the Wings for Life World Run
Once a year, the Wings for Life World Run takes place around the
globe. All participants start at the same time worldwide and run
either individually with the Wings for Life World Run App or
together in several Flagship Runs. The best part is that any form
of the run is all about being there. It doesn't matter how well,
fast or far you run, whether you're a professional athlete, hobby
runner or an absolute beginner. It is all about having fun while
running. For this reason there is no traditional finish line.
Instead, 30 minutes after the start, either a virtual or – in the
case of the Flagship Runs – a real Catcher Car picks up the chase
and overtakes one runner after another. Results aren't
measured in time, but in distance achieved. Best of all: 100% of
entry fees and donations goes directly to spinal cord research. In
the editions of the Wings for Life World Run that have been
completed to date, a total of 1,293,716 registered participants
from 195 nationalities ran, walked and rolled on all seven
continents and together raised a total of €43.8 million to find a
cure for spinal cord injury. www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com
[1] International perspectives on spinal cord injury, World
Health Organisation, 11 November
2013, https://rb.gy/wkkmjb
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