The race is also held to celebrate the 29^th anniversary of CMC Corporation. The event starts at 00h00 on Friday, 22 April 2022 and ends at 23h59 on Saturday, 21 May 2022. Runners run on their own, at any time of the day, and use the app 84 RACE to see their results.

For each kilometer covered by a runner, CMC will donate 1,000 VND to the surgery fund of Operation Smile, with the aim of giving 29 children the opportunity to undergo a cleft lip or cleft palate surgery. After 30 days, nearly 2,500 runners across the country have ran the distance of approximately 430,000 kilometers.

                  CMC Speed Up race is always filled with smiles from the runners who run together to raise fund for                              children to undergo cleft surgery

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu - Head of CMC's Marketing and Communication Department, Head of the race's organizational board said: "This race is a sports activity that embodies the spirit and culture of CMC people and business. We set the minimum distance to be covered by each runner is 29km as a way to celebrate the Corporation's birthday. CMC people and runners across the country are wearing the same color, sharing the same heartbeat, living positively for themselves and making contributions for 29 children with disabilities to have the chance to find back their smile."

Mr. Khuong Viet Hung - Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee is a participant of the program

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu, the cost of 10 million VND per each operation is not too much for middle-class and well-off families. However, to those in difficult circumstances, it's a fortune. "45 minutes of surgery at the cost of about 10 million VND can give the children a new life, help them to be confident and better integrate to life and contribute to society. When you run to both improve your health and help those in difficult circumstances, each of your step will be filled with love, and that's how Sports change lives," said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu.

Sports commentators Quang Tung and Quang Huy in a run to support the program

Many professional and non-professional runners have actively participated in CMC Speedup race. Among them are Mr. Khuat Viet Hung - Deputy Chairman of of the National Traffic Safety Committee, who joins the race as soon as he recovers from Covid-19; Dan Quyet - the leading runner of running movements; Dang Anh Tuan - the champion of the VNG Ironman 70.3 Vietnam 2022 race, and Hong Le - the national athlete who has just won the gold medal for the 10-km run at Seagames 31.

"If you run every day for your health, then by giving children a chance to smile through it, the joy will be doubled," Hong Le said to other runners.

Quang Tung and Quang Huy - two famous sports commentators excitedly said: Apart from holding the microphone and give our best to each football commentary, we also have to physically train ourselves, and running is one of our choices for that purpose. This time, we are delighted to join nearly 2,500 runners across the country in the race to raise fund for 29 children with cleft palate.

Mr. Tran Viet Trung, a former CMC employee from Hoang Mai - Hanoi affirmed that he joined CMC Speed Up race with the desire for his running steps to be more meaningful and to contribute part of the funding for children with cleft lip and cleft palate to undergo surgery. At the same time, Mr. Trung also hopes to encourage many of his friends and acquaintances to join the race to help more children to smile again.

As noted by the organizing board, many runners join CMC Speed Up race because of its humane purpose. They all share the same wish of trading their sweats for the smiles of less fortunate children.

The joy of the runner community when they work together towards the goal of healing children's smiles

This is the second year in a row that the running event is held by CMC to support Operation Smile. In 2021, i.e. the 28^th anniversary of the Corporation, its Inspiring Run CMC 28 event attracted more than 2,000 runners; as a result, fund was raised to help 28 children born with cleft lip and cleft palate to undergo surgery.

As a parent whose child was funded by the program, Ms. Xuan Huong (from Ba Dinh, Hanoi) expresses her thank to the doctors, organizations and CMC for giving her child as well as other children a chance to be healed.

"This is a dream come true not only to our child but also to us. After the surgery, my child is less difficult to take care of. He no longer chokes when eating, and his pronunciation is also clearer. I hope there will be more similar programs so that many other children will have the opportunity to change their lives," said Ms. Xuan Huong.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of Board of Directors of CMC Corporation presents the funding for 29 surgeries to the representative of Operation Smile Vietnam

On behalf of children with congenital cleft palate, Ms. Do Hoai Linh, representative of Operation Smile Vietnam expressed her thanks to CMC and its partners who have been supporting and will accompany Operation Smile Vietnam in its activities.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh – Chairman of Board of Directors, Executive President of CMC Corporation affirmed: "In 29 years of establishment and development, CMC has always proved to have a high sense of responsibility to the community through practical charity activities. CMC determines that its business development will be associated with responsibilities to society and the community, so as to truly contribute to building Vietnam into a powerful country."

Over the last 2 years, more than 4,500 officers and employees of CMC have collectively contributed more than 50 billion VND to the national Covid prevention fund, as well as donated medical equipment and supplies to frontline hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, CMC running event to raise fund for cleft surgery for children and its blood donation program have become traditional activities that are held on the corporation's birthday, 26 May of every year.