The Global VegRun has received a great response from all over the world, and this year in Toronto, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) of Toronto Chapter held the "2023 Toronto VEGRUN" at Centennial Park on Saturday, June 24th. 231 participants from the Buddha’s Light community embraced nature through the run by joining hands to create a green, healthy, and harmonious future. Participating in VEGRUN not only contributes to protecting the environment and reducing global warming by promoting vegetarianism but also thought their generosity to give back to society.  The collective efforts of the "2023 Toronto VEGRUN" event raised a total of CAD $12,280.00, which was fully donated to ERINOAK Kids, the largest children's treatment center in Ontario.

“VegRun” in “Veg-revival Virtual Community Run” is the abbreviation of vegan run and vegetarian run, which means running to promote vegetarianism and running for the earth. Vege-Revival represents awakening to restore vitality.

Despite the rain in recent days, it did not dampen the spirits of everyone participating in the "2023 Toronto VEGRUN." Volunteers were in their positions from 7 a.m. onwards. The registration for the run opened at 8:30 a.m., but the sky started to rain lightly again. However, no one dropped out because of it.

VEGRUN officially began at 9:30 a.m. and the rain miraculously stopped. Venerable Chueh Fan, the Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, welcomed and expressed gratitude to everyone for braving the elements to participate in and support the event. She reminded everyone to understand that VEGRUN aims to promote environmental conservation and vegetarianism.   She also hopes to spread the message of a healthy lifestyle to more people while emphasizing the importance of environmental and mental well-being. By doing so, everyone can contribute to the sustainable development of planet Earth.

Mr. Kevin Cao, the Vice President of BLIA Toronto and the organizer of the 2023 Toronto VEGRUN expressed gratitude for the enthusiastic support of the Buddha’s Light community. He acknowledged that despite the persistent rain, their support for vegetarianism and environmental conservation remained unwavering. 

ERINOAK Kids' Director of Development, Renae Addis, and Annual Giving Manager, Fiona D'Silva-Coelho, were present at the event and delivered speeches to express their gratitude to the compassionate Buddha’s Light community. They acknowledged that the enthusiasm and kindness of everyone present inspired more people to pay attention to the health of sick children. ERINOAK Kids is the largest children's treatment center in Ontario, providing medical assistance services to over 20,000 children, adolescents, and their families each year who are affected by developmental disabilities, autism, communication disorders, and hearing impairments. Their mission is to help every child achieve maximum independence and a healthy future.

BLIA Toronto Secretary-General Monica Kong stated that a total of 231 individuals registered for the event this year. Many families participated together, with multiple generations joining in the run. The participants ranged from young toddlers as young as one-year-old to seniors in their 80s.

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