Budapest Airport donates nearly HUF 3.5 mln to SUHANJ! Foundation

Péter Gusztos (left) and Kam Jandu (Photo: Budapest Airport/Róbert Baranyi)

The donation was collected from entry fees for the eighth edition of the airportʼs annual Runway Run charity running race. The race was held at the beginning of September, with nearly 600 runners lining up (in compliance with effective health regulations) on the closed airportʼs closed Runway I.

The airport operator’s representatives handed over HUF 3,411,655, collected in entry fees, to the SUHANJ! Foundation last week.

The cooperation between the SUHANJ! Foundation and Budapest Airport has been in place for multiple years. The foundation spends the annual donation from the entry fees of the Runway Run on developing the integrated gym, called SUHANJ! Fitness that it operates in Budapest, where able-bodied and disabled athletes can work out together.

SUHANJ! Fitness, established as a result of community cooperation, is the first fully accessible gym in Hungary, which has seen demand for its services rising continuously since its opening – thus, SUHANJ! Foundation is working on the establishment of a nationwide SUHANJ! network.

With the donation, Budapest Airport not only wishes to support the development of the integrative gym, but also, thereby, seeks to improve the quality of life for mentally or physically disabled and visually impaired people, according to the press release.

During the handover of the check, Kam Jandu, Budapest Airportʼs chief commercial official stated, "We believe that together we are stronger, and in these difficult times, it is more important than ever for people to unite and work together. The Runway Run is a very important event for us every year, not only because it is an excellent occasion to experience the joy of physical exercise together, but also because we can support the operation of the integrated SUHANJ! Fitness from the entry fees. We are proud that this year we once again had the opportunity to support the foundation through such a significant event embodying unity and cooperation."

Péter Gusztos, co-founder and head of SUHANJ! Foundation said, "Through the years, the Runway Run races became a celebration of equality in the life of the SUHANJ! team. This is the only running event in Hungary where our athletes with disabilities can fully experience what accessibility means. There are no potholes, no curbs or sharp turns on the course, only the freedom of movement. Our cooperation with the Budapest Airport provides a lot of room for progress, not only to the athletes individually but also to our entire organization, because our foundation can always use the proceeds of the event and the donations of the company for the most important developments.

"This was the case at the beginning of our cooperation, when six years ago, Budapest Airport appeared as the main sponsor for the opening of Hungaryʼs first accessible gym, the SUHANJ! Fitness. And even now, they provided a significant donation to help us expand our activities and establish a nationwide SUHANJ! network," he added.