Cold storage Malaysia's first kids run draws 1,000 children to starting line

PETALING JAYA: It was a special Malaysia Day for about 1,000 eager children between four and 12 years-old as they, accompanied by parents of the younger ones, were flagged off for the inaugural Cold Storage Kids Grow & Glow Run at Central Park Bandar Utama!
The event kicked-off at 6.30am with the playing of "Negaraku", stirring the participants in their custom race t-shirts alongside scores of friends and family to rise and join in the singing of Malaysia's national anthem. Excited and motivated by the highly charged atmosphere, participants then took their places at the starting point, where they were ceremoniously flagged-off amidst cheers of encouragement from the supporters, right up to when they proudly crossed the finish line.
Joining in the fun run with her children was Datin Dr. Halina Mohd Yunos, wife of Malaysia's first astronaut, Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.
The Kids Grow & Glow Run, organised by Cold Storage Malaysia in conjunction with Malaysia Day, is the country's first-ever kids run to promote healthier eating and living within the community. Featuring the different stages of growth, the 1km race trail brought participants on a learning experience of life's evolution from birth to healthy adulthood. Throughout the race, participants were faced with several "growth obstacles", which required them, amongst others, to balance themselves across a beam and climb over an inflatable pyramid. The children also learned to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy food choices, and ultimately make the decision to take the correct food path to get to the finish line and claim their medal!
Speaking about the event, Mr. Pierre-Olivier Deplanck, CEO of GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. said, "On top of being the first event of its kind to be organised by Cold Storage Malaysia, the Kids Grow & Glow Run is also the first kids run in Malaysia that features the different stages of growth.
As The Fresh Food People, Cold Storage Malaysia has always aimed to inspire our customers to make healthy food choices by availing the finest selection of organic, fresh and high quality groceries in all our stores. Today's event is held specifically on Malaysia Day to bring this commitment even further.
This is where we move ahead with our vision, to celebrate and embrace the nation's diversity whilst nurturing the next generation to choose to live healthy lifestyles. A healthy person equates a healthy mind, and we believe that it's never too early to instil the habit of eating and living healthily amongst children."
After the race, each participant was rewarded with a medal and given a goody bag to be filled up with numerous prizes and products from the various sponsor booths. Amongst the event's main sponsors were Bestari, Dutch Lady, Mondelez and Haagen Dazs.
The inaugural Kids Grow & Glow Run also saw 40 children from MyKasih Foundation joining the race towards a healthier life. Furthermore, a total of RM20,000 was channelled to MyKasih Foundation, as part of Cold Storage Malaysia's CSR efforts.
Bringing participants, friends and family closer together, the event was made even more colourful with the day's fun-filled highlights such as fun inflatables, clown and juggler duet, stilt walkers, face painting artists and Cold Storage Malaysia's very own mascot appearance. There was also a lucky draw contest where a participant, won the main prize - Cold Storage Shopping Voucher worth of RM1,000!
In addition, the Kids Grow & Glow Run Instagram contest, which required participants to snap and upload their most creative shots using the hashtag
#CSKIDSRUN, also received overwhelming response. By the end of the contest, 10 best photos were selected, and the winners each received a limited-edition luggage.
"I'm delighted with the turnout for our first-ever run, as the number of participants far exceeded our expectation and registration capacity. We plan to make the Kids Grow & Glow Run an annual event where more families can work towards a healthier and more active lifestyle. Through events such as this, children and their families may be encouraged to do even more things together, such as exercising regularly and even shopping for the right foods to eat together!" Mr. Olivier-Pierre Deplanck said in closing.
For more about Cold Storage Malaysia, visit www.coldstorage.com.my.

About Cold Storage Malaysia
Since it began operating in Malaysia in 1963, Cold Storage has been a trusted name in fresh produce as well as top quality local and imported products. With 15 outlets across the country, Cold Storage strives to provide a one stop shopping experience for its customers as the brand continually challenges and innovates with a wide range of superior and unique products and services. — Bernama