On May 28, a charity “Chestnut Run” took place in Prague’s Stromovka Park, bringing together Ukrainians, Czechs, and friends of Ukraine around a shared goal — supporting children with congenital heart defects.

The event was part of the 33rd International Chestnut Run and was held within the framework of the Czech Republic–Ukraine Unity Week, organized by the UA NEXT project with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic.

Participants completed a 5-kilometer route through Stromovka Park and joined a fundraising campaign to purchase a video laryngoscope for the Ukrainian Ministry of Health’s Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. The event united people whose hometowns include Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Lutsk, Cherkasy, and many others.

For more than 30 years, the Chestnut Run has remained one of Ukraine’s best-known charitable initiatives, bringing people together across the world to support children’s health. Today, such events carry special significance, as they not only help raise funds for essential medical equipment but also strengthen the connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland while fostering international solidarity around important social causes.

On June 4, 2026, a press conference was held at the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, during which the results of the 33rd charity Chestnut Run were announced.

During the event, the project team presented the Center with two symbolic checks. The first, totaling UAH 2,400,000, was raised thanks to thousands of participants, teams, partners, and supporters who joined the 33rd Chestnut Run. The second check, worth UAH 580,000, came from an anonymous donor who made one of the largest individual contributions in the history of the Run’s online format.

As a result, the total amount transferred to the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery reached UAH 2,980,000.

This year’s Run also set a new online participation record. Despite martial law and ongoing security challenges, more than 10,000 participants from Ukraine and around the world joined the charity initiative—the highest number recorded since the event moved online.

The funds raised will be used to purchase a modern video laryngoscope for the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care for Newborns at the Center.

This equipment is critically important for treating children with congenital heart defects and complex airway anatomy. A video laryngoscope allows doctors to clearly visualize patients’ airways during procedures, act with maximum precision, reduce the risk of complications, and ensure safer medical interventions even in the most challenging cases.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Chestnut Run was held online for safety reasons. Participants completed the symbolic distance wherever convenient while remaining united by a common goal—to help the Center’s young patients.

We thank Kylimmen, ambassador of sport and victories and a member of the Kalush Orchestra, for supporting the 33rd “Run Under the Chestnuts”.

This year, Kylimmen joined the ambassadors’ старт and presented awards to participants who completed the symbolic distance in support of little hearts.

True victories are not about sporting achievements, but about saving children’s lives.

Thank you for your support, your care, and your belief that together we can achieve more.

On May 31, the 33rd annual charitable “Chestnut Run” took place on the 1,544th birthday of Kyiv. For 34 years, this largest sports and charity initiative in Ukraine has been bringing people together to help save little hearts.

This year, the Run was held online for the fifth time to ensure participants’ safety amid the ongoing full-scale war. Yet neither distance, borders, nor thousands of kilometers prevented people around the world from joining the start line for a shared cause — supporting young patients of the Center.

More than 10,000 participants and 143 corporate teams joined the 33rd Chestnut Run worldwide. Registration and charitable donations are still ongoing.

Participants completed the symbolic 5-kilometer distance at their own pace — running, walking, and taking part with families, teams, and communities across Ukraine and around the globe.