First Lady’s Half Marathon gets Ksh 113 million boost

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s 3^rd Half Marathon got a boost on Wednesday after receiving more than Ksh 113 million in cash and kind donations from private and public organisations.

The First Lady received cash donations totaling Ksh 28 million including Ksh 5 million each from National Bank of Kenya, South African Millers (SAB), KenGen and Oxgyen 8 Communications.

Kenya Women Finance Trust and I&M Bank donated Ksh 3 million each while DTB Bank and Savannah Cement donated Ksh 1 million each.

Media Houses pledged a total of over Ksh 84 million worth of advertising space.

Mediamax Networks pledged Ksh 25.2 million and Royal Media Services pledged Ksh 25 million worth of advertising space, Nation Media Group Ksh 13 million with Capital Group and Kass FM donating Ksh 10.9 million and Ksh 7 million respectively while the Standard Group pledged Ksh 5 million.

The funds raised through the Marathon will be used to purchase the remaining eleven fully kitted mobile clinics.

More funding from well-wishers is expected over the next week before the launch of the First Lady’s Half Marathon.

The sponsorship by media houses will go a long way in creating awareness of the Beyond Zero campaign and driving the First Lady’s half-marathon registration that targets 70,000 participants, more than double last year’s runners.

Representatives from the various organisations, who presented their donations to the First Lady at State House, Nairobi, pledged to lead teams from their institutions to take part in the First Lady’s half marathon slated for March 6th, 2016.

Kenya Red Cross Society, which will provide emergency services through 20 ambulances and 150 paramedics, will have 100 participants in the marathon.

“The sponsorship from Kenya Red Cross will be Ksh 1.5 million,” said the organisation’s representative Susan Debora Achieng Ng’ong’o.

“Kenya Red Cross is proud to be in your team. What you are doing is amazing and you are making our work easier. You are a chief humanitarian of this country,” said Ms Ng’ong’o.

Aga Khan Hospital offered 200 free radiation therapy services in support of the First Lady’s Beyond Zero initiative.

Through their Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shawn Bolouki, the Aga Khan Hospital also pledged to donate a fully kitted mobile clinic in time for the launch of the marathon.

DTB Bank will send 75 participants while SAB will be represented by 30 staffers. Media houses will also present marathon teams in support of the First Lady’s noble initiative.

Kenya Women Finance Trust Board Vice Chairperson, Mary Wacuka Ngatia, said her organization will always support the First Lady’s initiative as it empowers women to continue undertaking crucial activities to improve the lives of their families and the country.

“What you are doing will lead to strong families which in turn will change the economy of this country,” she said.

The First Lady thanked the donors and well-wishers saying their support will go a long way in helping achieve the goals of the Beyond Zero initiative.

She said the ultimate goal of the initiative is to ensure there are well-stocked facilities to cater for women and children healthcare.

“When you go to the ground you feel what is going on, I have been to most counties and the mobile clinics we have donated are doing a great job but clinics will never be enough,” said the First Lady. ” My biggest dream is to build a Beyond Zero hospital for women and children as well as revamp existing hospitals around the country.”

The First Lady said her clarion call to corporate and well-wishers is ‘Adopt a Ward’

Later in the evening, the First Lady led her team in warm-up and training sessions as she gears up for the marathon on March 6^th.