A team of 50 employees from Hospital da Luz participated in the António Leitão Benfica Race, held on Sunday, March 23, to run for a cause—the inclusion of people with Trisomy 21. With the support of the Benfica Foundation and in partnership with Pais 21, an association of individuals with Trisomy 21, their families, and civil society, which works on empowering people with Trisomy 21, Hospital da Luz challenged its employees to step up, wear the jersey, and transform the kilometer run into donations for this institution. In the days leading up to the race, at the Estádio da Luz grounds where bibs were distributed to registered participants, Hospital da Luz set up a treadmill to invite passersby to contribute kilometers, which were also converted into €5 donations to Pais 21. In total, over 600 km were covered, and a check for more than three thousand euros was signed and delivered at the end of the Sunday race, in the presence of the entire Hospital da Luz team and several families from Pais 21 who also participated in the event. This was the 17th edition of the António Leitão Benfica Race, which once again included the "Corrida da Pequenada" (Kids' Race)—held on Saturday, March 22—and the Walk (5 km) and Race (10 km) events, both of which took place on Sunday, March 23. Despite the rain and cold, the events were well attended, with approximately 12,500 participants in total. Hospital da Luz was once again a partner providing official medical services for SL Benfica during these events, ensuring medical and clinical support to all participants with a team of 12 healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses. Sport as a tool for inclusion is one of the pillars of Hospital da Luz's social responsibility strategy , supporting or promoting impactful initiatives and partnering, whenever possible, with athletes, clubs, and sports organizations.
