Roché Run - Let's do it for the kids

At 36, I thought I'd run out of reasons to push my body to its limits. But then I learned about the reality that thousands of Vietnamese children face every day – human trafficking, slavery, and exploitation that steals their childhood and their future.

This isn't just another race for me. This is my chance to turn every painful step, every burning breath, every moment of doubt into hope for kids who desperately need it.

I'm running 50 kilometers to raise 50 million VND (1 million VND per KM) for @bluedragonchildrensfoundation – an incredible organization that doesn't just rescue children from trafficking, but works tirelessly to heal their trauma, reunite them with families, and create lasting change across Vietnam.

THE HARSH REALITY:

Right now, children are being sold into slavery. Kids who should be playing, learning, dreaming – instead they're trapped in situations no human being should ever endure. Blue Dragon has rescued countless children from these horrors, but there are still so many more who need our help.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO ME:

I've had the privilege of choices – where to live, what career to pursue, who to love. These children have had that basic human right stripped away from them. If running 50 kilometers can help give even one child back their freedom, their education, their chance at a real childhood – then every blister, every ache, every moment of exhaustion will be worth it.

THE IMPACT YOUR DONATION MAKES:

Rescues children from slavery and trafficking

Provides shelter, education, and healthcare

Reunites families torn apart by trafficking

Supports survivors through legal advocacy

Builds homes and creates safe communities

Changes laws to protect the most vulnerable

Every single dong you contribute doesn't just support my run – it directly funds rescue operations, provides therapy for trauma survivors, and gives children the education they deserve.

https://give.bluedragon.org/fundraisers/roche-run-lets-do-it-for-the-kids

SPECIAL THANKS:

I couldn't take on this challenge without the incredible support system around me. 

First I would like to thank Byron Joseph and Nguyễn Việt Dũng, without you this would be possible.

To my sponsors Megawattcoffee and ONION Shop and Lecka Vietnam  – your belief in this cause means everything. Your support doesn't just fuel my training, it fuels hope for children who need it most. To my teammates and friends Sean Burns, Thế Anh Trịnh, Steve Weller, Jeremy Thiessen thank you for pushing me to think beyond myself, for showing me that our comfort zones are exactly where we need to step out of when others are suffering. Your guidance has shaped not just my running, but my understanding of what it means to use our privileges to lift others up.

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD:

50 kilometers isn't just a distance – it's a statement. It's saying that we won't run away from difficult truths, we'll run toward solutions. It's declaring that every child deserves freedom, safety, and the chance to write their own story. I'm not asking you to run 50K with me (though you're welcome to!). I'm asking you to stand with me. Share this post. Donate what you can. Help me turn this personal challenge into collective action. Because at the end of the day, this isn't about me crossing a finish line. It's about helping children cross the line from exploitation to freedom, from trauma to healing, from despair to hope.

Let's do this for the kids. Every step, every dong, every share matters.#BluedragonRun #EndHumanTrafficking #RunForACause #ChildrenDeserveFreedom #Vietnam #BluedragonFoundation #50KForTheKids #HumanTraffickingAwareness #RunningForReason #MakeADifference

"I have gone through lots of upheavals in my life. You are the one who helped me overcome all of these. You are like my second mother." - Ngoc, 19, a trafficking survivor supported by Blue Dragon. 

Donate now: [https://give.bluedragon.org/fundraisers/roche-run-lets-do-it-for-the-kids]

Learn more about Blue Dragon: @bluedragonchildrensfoundation