Lotus’s Ceria Charity Run Raises Record RM500,000 To Empower Students

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The Lotus's Ceria Charity Run (CCR'26) raised a record RM500,000 in its fourth edition for the hypermarket chain's PINTAR SMART Up School Programme, empowering students through education and financial literacy.

Held at Lotus's Ara Damansara on Sunday, the run drew 5,000 participants, with the funds raised going towards supporting the programme's goal of empowering 50,000 students nationwide by 2030.

Lotus's Malaysia chief executive officer Saksit Panurach said the charity run aimed to bring communities together while creating better opportunities for students.

“What makes Ceria Charity Run special is that every kilometre (km) completed today contributes to a larger purpose.

“When we launched this run in 2023, we wanted to create a platform that brings communities together while providing better opportunities for students.

“Four years later, we've raised a record RM500,000 and are one step closer to our goal of empowering 50,000 students nationwide by 2030.

“We are grateful to every participant, sponsor and partner who made this possible,” he said in a statement.

Lotus’s Malaysia has partnered with PINTAR Foundation since 2016 under its School Adoption Programme as part of the company’s #KitakanJiran education pillar.

The Lotus’s-PINTAR SMART Up School Programme includes Smart Shopper Plus, launched in August 2025 to provide students with practical financial literacy skills, including understanding needs and wants, budgeting and smart spending.

Since its launch, Smart Shopper Plus has reached 2,394 students across 21 Lotus’s Adopted Schools in seven states, achieving a 96 per cent goal completion rate.

Each CCR’26 registration contributed RM20 to the programme, while runners could also purchase a special edition CCR’26 jersey for an additional RM30, with proceeds channelled towards the same cause.

CCR’26 was supported by Exclusive Sponsors Milo, Omega, Nestum, Nescafe, Maggi, KitKat, Nestle Ice Cream, Enercal and Heitech, as well as Platinum Sponsors Chipsmore, Jacobs, Tiger and TanjongEx.

The event also featured a Race Village with 36 product sampling booths, family-friendly games and food and beverage offerings.

The 2026 edition also introduced a 21.1km Competitive Half Marathon, featuring Men’s and Women’s Open and Veteran categories, alongside the returning 5km and 10km Shop & Run categories.

-- BERNAMA