On September 29th and 30th, São Paulo hosted a stage of the 14th edition of the Lions Charity Run under the motto “We Run, We Serve!” (We Run, We Serve), organized by the Lions Clubs Poland and Brazil, with the purpose of raising funds to help needy children in Brazil. With a total route of 839 km, from Curitiba/PR, passing through Registro, São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Guaratinguetá, Resende, Juiz de Fora to Rio de Janeiro, part of the proceeds will be donated to the Vila Cuore project of the Alliance of Mercy. 

Eight runners from 2 countries and Brazil, in addition to the race's founder, the Polish businessman, Mariusz Szeib were welcomed at the Immaculate House of the Holy Spirit, headquarters of the Alliance, by Father Luiz Fabio Peixoto, for lunch, and then they visited Vila Cuore, which will receive part of the final amount raised, ending the day with another stretch of the race in Parque Vila Lobos.  

On the 30th, the race took place at Ibirapuera Park with the presence of Renato Limongi, Administrative Superintendent of the Alliance and the corridors Susanne Hindahl-Reede, Germany, Arkadiusz Dybiec, Roman Monastyrskyy, Prof. Jacek Trębecki, Marek Kulpa, Karolina Barałkiewicz-Sokal, and Mariusz Szeib, all from Poland, in addition to other registered runners. 

Mariusz Szeib, race founder, businessman, marathon runner, former District Governor of the Lions Clubs of Poland met the Alliance in Poland during a Mass, where missionaries introduced the institution. She decided to bring the race to Brazil because of the work it did and because the president of Lions International, Fabrício Oliveira, to be Brazilian. When visiting Vila Cuore, he reaffirmed feel that I could have in relation to the Alliance "I'm completely confident that the funds we raise will be invested 100%. I'm impressed by the children we've seen so far. I'm convinced that something fantastic can be done for these children, and that conviction was confirmed here at Vila Cuore." 

Since 2018, Vila Cuore – the Alliance of Mercy's Education and Professional Training Center – has been operating in Parque Taipas, in the northern part of São Paulo, offering tutoring, sports, culture, and workshops in sewing, IT, and gastronomy. It features a model industrial kitchen and a Children and Adolescent Center (CCA) that serves participants after school. The program includes children aged 6 and older, adolescents, and adults, promoting inclusion, education, and social transformation. 

"The partnership benefits both sides: Lions, a volunteer humanitarian organization dedicated to serving the community, joins forces with the Alliance of Mercy, which also works to integrate and support those most in need. The Lions Charity Run represents a charity run, with proceeds going to institutions in Juiz de Fora and São Paulo, reinforcing the motto "We run, we serve" for children and vulnerable people, and the Alliance does a wonderful job of serving those most in need." evaluates Rodrigo Lavieri, Governor of Lions Club District 2 Brazil.