Registration is now open for the charitable competition Walking Month, for everyone who wants to be more active and at the same time contribute to a social cause.

The competition is organised by Betfair Romania Development, in partnership with Banca Transilvania. The two companies are covering all programme costs so that 100% of the entry fees paid by participants will be donated in full to purchase, equip and put into operation the first social ambulance in Transylvania.

Registration and participation:

• The first step to enter the competition is to download the Walking Month app from the App Store or Google Play to create an account or reactivate your account from the previous edition, to donate to the social ambulance, to choose your participation package, and to form a team.
• Registration period: August 19–September 11
• All contestants in Cluj-Napoca who register in the first week will automatically receive the first prize: free delivery of a menu from HomeFresh.
• Competition dates: September 16–October 15
• Depending on the number of steps taken during the competition, participants can win prizes such as trips, festival passes or gym memberships, etc.

The cause & what a social ambulance means:

The social ambulance will be a mobile service centre, equipped with medical devices and a mini-office, travelling to rural, isolated or marginalised areas of Romania where access to basic medical or social services is difficult or missing. The ambulance’s volunteers will provide basic medical care and social services, such as support in dealing with public authorities, legal advice, and assistance for victims of domestic violence.

Thoughts on the project:  

• “Walking Month is a truly special initiative through which we encourage both solidarity with a worthy cause and a healthy lifestyle, and we help build good habits. We are glad to stand with Walking Month; it is another opportunity to reinforce BT’s strong values and our commitment to the community” - Sergiu Mircea, coordinating director, marketing and communication, Banca Transilvania.

• “This year, it’s about bringing together two different Romanias. In Cluj, as in other large cities in the country, access to medical and social services is not a problem: the family doctor is nearby, institutions have offices, counters and staff. Just a few kilometres from the big cities, the situation is radically different: often there isn’t even a family doctor, and there are thousands of people who lack papers or don’t know their rights. We discovered such communities through Betfair Romania Development’s CSR programmes; if until now we have donated computers and similar equipment to rural schools, we are now taking this effort to another level, together with Banca Transilvania and the two organisations that will run the social ambulance: AHS and Beard Brothers” - Andreea Misaras, Walking Month coordinator on behalf of IT Betfair Romania Development.