Fun and healthy are words that can describe the success of the “Fun Run” which was initiated by Manado Independent School (MIS) through the Science and Health Club on Sunday, March 12, 2023, held at Megamas Manado field. Many students who are members of the Science and Health Club showed happy, cool, and cheerful expressions under the bright sun on that Sunday morning. Everyone was so eager to run.
“The objectives of this activity are to promote regular exercise in order to benefit physical and mental health; cardiovascular fitness; and team building. In this activity, students ran a minimum of 1.5 kilometers for one lap. Although, there were some students who ran more than what was required,” said Prema Kollabathula, MA, MPh. Ed. (Science Department Head). She was extremely grateful to all students, parents, teachers, administrators, and some school board members who supported and participated in this activity. She can testify to how enthusiastic and cooperative they were.
Jesslyn Widjanarko, the secretary of MIS High School Science Club said, “This activity was organized to encourage students to develop a healthy lifestyle through running. That day, students eagerly followed the directions given by the teachers and club officers; they were instructed to run twice through the path decided, and every time a student finishes one lap, a blue ribbon will be given, however, after the second and final lap, a medal will be awarded. Different teachers were assigned to their specified locations to ensure that students are running faithfully without taking any shortcuts. The blazing sun in the morning did not stop students from obtaining the medal. Some even ran extra laps because they enjoyed the activity.”
One of the participants Nichole Junus, SA president of elementary section, said that, “This event was very exciting from the beginning until the end. We actually ran for two laps, then after completing the first round, we received a blue ribbon, then, when we finished the second round, each one received a red ribbon and a medal. Hopefully, in the future, this program will continue because I am excited to run again.” Nicole was thankful to the organizers of this event.
Another student from the middle school section—Huang Haoxuang expressed his opinion on the program. He said, “Joining the ‘Fun Run’ was a pleasant experience. I learned that jogging is a great form of exercise that offers several benefits to both physical and mental health. So, keep up the good work and enjoy the many benefits of jogging.” Shawn (nickname) was the first student to complete the laps among the Middle School students. The FUN RUN was such a memorable and beneficial experience for all the participants. May this program ignite the students’ interest in taking care of their health through exercise. Mahatma Gandhi said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” May all of us learn how to value health more than gold and silver.
