(ANS – Rome) – Friday, 1st November will see the 6th 'Corsa dei Santi' or 'Saints Run' leave St Peter's Square, Rome. This foot race which came into being as a celebration of sport on the occasion of All Saints Day is promoted by Don Bosco in the World Foundation and supports a specific humanitarian initiative each year. This year it will be supporting a preventive health project in the Solomon Islands and will go under the title: “Help for the ends of the earth”.

The Saints Run is now an established success for sport and solidarity. The number of runners signing up has been on the increase, and reached 5,000 in 2012 – between the two categories of amateurs and professionals. The race also has won recognition at institutional level, such as the President of the Republic's Medal, now in its sixth year, and the patronage of Rome Capital, and the Cariplo Foundation, along with collaboration from Mediafriends.

This year the race is supporting a project protecting health in the extensive Solomon Islands Archipelago where there are only two hospitals, the national one and the Good Samaritan Hospital set up by Bishop Luciano Capelli SDB, with the help of the “Amici Missione Isole Salomone' or AMIS (Friends of the Solomon Islands) a not for profit organisation. Both hospitals are located on the main island of Guadalcanal.

The aim of the project is to set up a new health auxiliary and provide for formation of local health personnel to fight diseases such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and above al Bakwa, a serious skin disease that is found especially in the most distant islands of the archipelago, the Shortlands.

In view of the growing participation and attention that the Saints Run has brought and its full support of the “Help for the ends of the earth” project, this year will also see its own official Anthem, called 'Run', written and sung by singer Alice Mondia especially for this event. The anthem can be downloaded form the Internet and can be ordered from the Don Bosco in the World foundation.

The Saints Run will be transmitted live by the national television channel Canale 5.

Published 28/10/2103