This Sunday, on 9th June 2013, the third edition of the charity cycling event Maratonul Vinului will take place in Urlați, Prahova county, some 80 km from Bucharest.

600 cyclists are expected to take part in this sold-out mountain bike race. Participants are able to choose between different courses (30 km or 50km), with the starting gun in both cases set to be fired at 10 am Sunday morning. The name of Maratonul Vinului – in English, “The Wine Marathon” – takes its inspiration from the well-known wine-producing region in which the event takes place, the Dealu Mare region – and the course sees participants cycle right through the local vineyards.

Maratonul Vinului also contains a non-competitive Family Tour of 10 km. This event is free of charge and is open to anyone who likes to enjoy a leisurely bike trip. The Family Tour begins 15 minutes after the main race this Sunday and lasts about an hour. Anyone interested to join this event should look up www.maratonulvinului.ro/en/info-trasee/traseu-family for more information.

Maratonul Vinului is organised by the Quintus Foundation, whose aim it is to promote cycling and outdoor activities in general as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. The Quintus Foundation also donates all the proceeds from the events it organises to local charities.

For this the third edition of Maratonul Vinului, the chosen charities are the Bucuria Ajutorului Foundation and Casa Rozei, both of which are located in Urlaţi.

The Bucuria Ajutorului Foundation in Urlați was established in 2012 under the patronage of the Archbishopric of Bucharest and has the aim of helping vulnerable children and families in the area. The centre in Urlați provides help with school work, counselling and educational and recreational activities for 25 children in the area at risk of dropping out of school. The children receive help completing their homework and are given a hot meal and packed lunch every day. They are also provided with stationary, books, clothes and shoes.

Casa Rozei is a non-governmental organisation that cares for people living with disabilities. Established in the early 1990s, Casa Rozei provides specialist care to a large number of people with physical and mental disabilities, helping them to lead normal lives by involving them in different activities aimed at ensuring their social and professional integration.

The Quintus Foundation does not transfer money directly to the charitable organisations, but instead donates particular goods or finances to specific investments.

If you want to get involved directly with the charity campaign, you can do so by donating clothes for adults and children, as well as toys, pens and pencils and story or colouring books – things you maybe don’t need anymore but which will be much appreciated by the children at Bucuria Ajutorului and the adult residents of Casa Rozei.

Just drop us a line at info@quintusfoundation.ro or, better still, come and join us on Sunday in Urlați!

For more information about Maratonul Vinului, see www.maratonulvinului.ro

Jan Glas is the chairman of the Quintus Foundation. Originally from Bruges, Belgium, he has been living in Romania for over 15 years. He also combines a passion for cycling with a professional activity in the world of accounting and consulting. Jan can be reached at jan.glas@tpa-horwath.ro

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