A Fun Run to Commemorate a Loved One

Mikel Lovina passed away 27 years ago in a car accident at the age of 18. Through the years, the family did different things to commemorate his life. Twelve years ago, Mikel’s family and friends started a fundraising fun run in his honor and called it the Mikel Lovina Jamborun. Since 2018, Mikel’s family and friends began donating the proceeds of the Jamborun to NVC Foundation. Here’s how the Jamborun has helped NVC beneficiaries through the years:

In 2018, the organizers donated 327 LoveBags for survivors of the Mt. Mayon eruption. The following year (in 2019) 534 Love Bags and 2,800 MingoMeals were donated to the children of the Ata Manobo indigenous people of Capalong, Davao del Norte. For 2020, 10,036 Mingo Meals were sent to evacuation centers for survivors of the Taal Volcano eruption. As the pandemic led to layoffs which in turn led to widespread hunger, the 2021 Jamborun raised 56,625 Mingo Meals for the Feeding Force Project of NVC. After that, the organizers decided to support the children of Siargao which had been badly hit by Typhoon Noru). Thankfully, the 2022 Jamborun raised 85,439 Mingo Meals for this cause. Finally, the beneficiaries of the 2023 Jamborun were 300 children in Marufinas, Palawan. They each received a daily Mingo Meal for 6 months.

Beneficiaries of the 2020 Jamborun thank the participants who raced to raise funds for Mingo Meals sent to the evacuation centers.

Raise Funds from Anywhere in the World

One of the best things about the Jamborun is it is a virtual run so you can join it from anywhere in the world. Just log how many kilometers you run or walk during the race dates (based on the time/date in your location and share how many kilometers you’ve run with the organizers. Participants must register beforehand for their kilometers to count.

Since it was Winter in Switzerland, Carl-Frederick Fries decided to skate instead of run for his contribution to the Jamborun.

The Mikel Lovina Jamborun 2024

The race dates this year were January 27 and 28. Organizers hoped to raise P450,000 but in the end, they turned over P474,780 to the foundation. With the proceeds of this year’s run, the foundation enrolled 60 children in the Level 2 Mingo Meals Nutrition Program. These 60 children come from the Pan de Azucar Island in Iloilo and the landlocked 2nd class municipality of Isabela, Negros Occidental. This program goes above and beyond supplying children with a daily ration of Mingo. In addition to daily Mingo Meals for a year, children receive quarterly medical check-ups. Meanwhile, the mothers or official guardians of the children will undergo regular wellness counseling. Other benefits such as food for the rest of the family will be provided as well.