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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
TWO children suffering from congenital heart disease (CHD) will be sent to India for surgery with proceeds from this year’s edition of the Liquor Hub half-marathon, set for this Sunday.

Liquor Hub Wholesale Centre proprietor, Raj Modi, who is also the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce said this year’s event is sponsored to the tune of R50 000.

“The race comes to our sports lovers in a renewed format. The two main categories, that is the senior and junior categories will see more athletes winning prizes having been increased from only the top three to top five respectively with the total on prizes amounting a whopping R50 000,” he said.

“Interestingly, the focus this year is on charity which has seen Liquor Hub partnering with the Brave Little Hearts (BLHZ) whose main aim as an organisation is to assist and raise awareness to the plight of children living with heart conditions where two children will be helped to receive their life changing surgery in India.

“The package offered to these children will include sponsored surgeries in India. The total package per child is US$15 000,” he added.

BLHZ aims to create awareness, knowledge and capacitate medical centres to produce educational materials about CHD. The disease can be discovered as early as twenty weeks while the child is in the womb.

According to the founding director of BLHZ, Tendai Moyo, their mission is to share hope and to holistically empower and support families affected by CHD. “We are grateful for the gesture that has been shown by Liquor Hub.

It is pleasing to have corporates coming to support the children in getting medication, early diagnosis, psychological support and empowerment for communities through various projects and nutritional support.

In the future we would love to send more children for these surgeries on a regular basis. The idea is to raise funds to save the lives of children living with congenital heart disease (CHD),” said Moyo.

Registration, which is done at the Wholesale Centre Groceries and Liquor Hub will close on Saturday. The fees are pegged at $1 000 or US$5 for senior runners, $600 or US$3 for junior participants and $400 or US$2 for charity walks for all age groups.

The event has become one of the flagship Bulawayo Athletics Board’s (Bab) road races and end of year competition.– @innocentskizoe