A fun run in South Bay?
A fun run in South Bay for the benefit of the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC)?
Voila! The answer to these two questions is a big YES.
Such positivity was felt and heard come the early morning of the 11th of October in the year of our Lord 2025 by the village people of South Bay Gardens. Close to a hundred runners and walkers, of all ages and gender, joined this community event.
The South Bay BEC Fundraising Fun Run/Walk is a success as it generated a ton of fun. Looking at the finish line photos, we can tell that the participants sure did have a fun time. Here are a sample of these photos.
Such fun overflowed even into the post-run celebration which included all runners and walkers receiving a giveaway prize which ranged from umbrellas to derma stuff. Top 2 finishers for the 2kms and 4kms (both male and female categories) received their special prizes. Raffle prizes were abundant. There was the delicious post-run meal of banana, pan de coco and lugao. On top of the meal was the opportunity to converse and laugh with fellow villagers. It was cool to see the community coming together on a weekend.
The catalyst of the South Bay BEC Fundraising Fun Run/Walk is Anavic Hautea. She is the coordinator of the Basic Ecclesial Community in South Bay which is part of the
Ascension of Our Lord Parish. Anavic was the one who recruited South Bay runners like Vinci Carag and me to be part of the organizing team. Included as well in the organizing team are active BEC volunteers like Fem Simpao, Thiele Topacio, Gigi delos Reyes, Dang Saulong, Soc Obrepenias, Korina Obrepenias, Ching Antonio, Ma-an Magpantay, Rhoda Bondoc, Teresita Cheng, Cathy Carag and Vic Mojica.
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| First meeting of the organizing team back in August. |
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| Collage photos of the preparatory activities leading to the Oct 11 fun run/walk. |
Although most, if not all of us were newbies in organizing a running event, the organizing team was able to deliver the fun run safely with such a short preparation . Actually, the fun run was originally scheduled for Sept 27 but given the stormy weather expected on that date, it was re-scheduled for Oct 4, and then finally to Oct 11. Preparations included a number of coordination meetings after office hours on weekdays and a couple of walkthroughs of the race route on a weekend. Several of the BEC ladies were busy soliciting prizes for giveaways and the raffle. A key to the success of the endeavor is the generosity, bordering on munificence, of the members of the organizing team and their family and friends.
This is what the lead organizer, Anavic, has to say about the Oct 11 fun run/walk:
"After a little more than a month of planning, the South Bay Catholoc Ecclesial Community (BEC) Fun Run/Walk event successfully pushed through on Oct 11, 2025. Our members enthusiastically invited sponsors, participants and contributed to the planning of this fundraising project. On D-day, it was so overwhelming to see the participants gather on a wonderful Saturday morning. Fun and excitement filled the air. It was such a successful fundrasing project. Indeed, grace in every pace!"
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| Lead organizer Anavic giving her welcome message before the start of the fun run |
Here is a quote as well from the race director, Vinci:
"It's wonderful to see an event in our village that brought together people of all ages to participate and enjoy! Our winners ranged from 11 year-old kids to adults in their 50s, and even our senior citizens crossed the finish line with smiles on their face. Truly, God's grace was with us in every pace of this race."
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| Race Director Vinci in action during the fun run. |
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| Collage photos of the race volunteers in action during the fun run. |
The theme of the Oct 11 fun run and the quotes from both the lead organizer and race director mention the word "Grace." What is grace? The etymology of the English word grace is from the Latin gratia meaning favor, charm or thanks. Gratia in turn is derived from gratus meaning free, ready, quick, willing. Someone has written that the word grace is probably the greatest word in the Scriptures, even greater even than love, because grace is love in action, and therefore includes it. Grace in simple terms is God's unmerited favor. In the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, grace is that goodwill on God's part which not only provides and applies salvation, but blesses, cheers and assists believers.
Truly, we believe we were blessed and assisted in the South Bay BEC Fundraising Fun Run/Walk.
Gratia cum omni pace. Gratias pro gratia Dei.
P.S.
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