The 2018 Boston Marathon will help feed hundreds of malnourished children
As the 2018 Boston Marathon approaches, UNICEF is working to ensure this year's run has a widespread global impact.
UNICEF USA's Kid Power program is partnering with the marathon's sponsor, the financial services company John Hancock, to transform the steps of every single runner (approximately 30,000 people) into support for nutrition aid around the world.
The UNICEF Kid Power program was introduced in 2015 with hopes that the the Kid Power fitness band would encourage students to participate in more physical activity.
The band counts the wearer's every step and converts them into packets of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) with help from the program's sponsors. The packets are then sent to nourish malnourished kids in developing countries like South Sudan, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Timor-Leste, Guatemala, and Indonesia. UNICEF launched a companion app in 2017, with the same nutrition-focused goal, that can track users' physical activity through their smartphones.
Though it would be interesting to see the exact number of steps generated during the marathon, the participants won't be using the bands or apps as part of the race. Instead, the two partners will estimate every step the runners take throughout the race, and use them to support UNICEF Kid Power's efforts.
UNICEF is also encouraging kids and families to use their own Kid Power technology to join the Boston runners at home.
The 26.2 mile-long marathon through Boston, Massachusetts, will help "unlock" lifesaving amounts of RUTF. According to UNICEF, if each runner takes an estimated 55,000 steps during the course of the marathon, the activity will average about 2.3 packets of RUTF per person.
UNICEF estimates that together, the marathon participants will take approximately 1.65 billion steps during the race -- a number that has the potential to provide a full course of nutrition for more than 500 children.
With the World Health Organization stating that malnutrition contributes to more than one-third of child deaths around the world, and UNICEF estimating malnutrition plays a role in nearly half of all deaths in children under 5, these efforts at the Boston Marathon could have a huge impact.
"The Boston Marathon is always an inspiring event for Boston and beyond, but thanks to this great partnership with John Hancock, it will be truly lifesaving as the impact from this race supports children around the globe," Matthew Bane, managing director for UNICEF USA, said in a press release.
"We're harnessing the collective power of 30,000 runners from all walks of life to provide kids around the world with the nutrition they need, and deserve," added Thomas Crohan, John Hancock's AVP and counsel. "We are so proud to be part of this great initiative."
Over the years, UNICEF Kid Power has inspired approximately 500,000 Americans to make their steps count.
Kid Power users have taken more than 100 billion steps and provided more than 52,000 malnourished kids around the world with much-needed nutrients. According to UNICEF's website, the program has raised a total of 8.2 million food packets so far.
The Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 16.
Topics Activism Fitness Trackers Social Good
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
