Corri la Vita 2015: A Record Breaking Edition
M.A. in Political Science, European Union Policy Studies
Florence, Italy. On a late September morning, Florence’s Piazza Duomo was overrun by a swarm of pink. Pink Ferragamo t-shirts that is, as more than 34,000 runners, joggers and walkers met in the heart of centro storico to participate in Corri la Vita, or Run for Life. Now in its thirteenth year, this annual charity run/walk aims to raise awareness and money for breast cancer treatment and research in the city of Florence. Corri la Vita has quickly become one of the city’s staple events.
Over the past five years, dozens of JMU students have participated in the race, demonstrating their solidarity and active citizenship in the city they call home for a year. In addition to their participation in the race, students played their part in hitting a new record of more than half a million euros raised for the cause.
"It was great to be part of something bigger and be part of the Florentine experience," said EUPS student Meghan Pearson. The race appealed to runners and non-runners alike, providing beautiful views of the city along the course. "I enjoyed being able to see the parks and museums while running for such a great cause," said EUPS student and avid runner, Logan Hoffman.
The event wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the annual t-shirt given to participants, designed by the historical Florentine fashion house, Salvatore Ferragamo. Each year, the city anxiously awaits the organization' s reveal of the t-shirt color, which has ranged through the years from green to grey. This year's choice of bright pink was not only lively enough to waken up a dreary Sunday morning, but perfect for the breast cancer cause!
This year’s Corri la Vita drew the attention of Italian and international celebrities including singer Gianni Morandi, captain of the Fiorentina soccer team Manuel Pasquale, and world famous singer Sting. At the final award ceremony, Agnese Renzi, wife of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Florence native, presented awards to the race winners.
It was a fun day for everyone involved, filled with pink t-shirts, balloons, lots of running, and espresso. More importantly, the event hit a new record by raising over 500,000 euros for women recovering from breast cancer!
More information on the event and future events can be found at the official website, http://www.corrilavita.it/en/
Official photos: https://www.facebook.com/
