DESPAR Aspiag, the SPAR Partner for the Northeast and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy, was the primary sponsor of the 2019 Pink Run in the city of Padua – an event aimed at raising funds for women’s health research. Once again a huge success, this year’s event had 7,500 registered participants and raised a total of €75,000.

Two conditions in particular were focused on this year – thalassemia (a rare genetic blood disorder) and breast cancer, with proceeds raised going to the Veneto Thalassemia Association and Veneto Cancer Foundation. The funds raised will help further research being made into improving the life expectancy of patients with thalassemia. It will also be used to fund an ambitious project aimed at early detection of breast cancer in women between the ages of 40-50.

This was the 10^th edition of the Pink Run, an event which also aims to raise awareness of the importance of physical exercise in leading a healthy lifestyle. Over the last 10 years, the Pink Run has raised more than €320,000, benefiting 15 different projects headed by local charities that largely rely on volunteers.

Fabio Donà, Marketing Manager at DESPAR Aspiag, highlighted the importance of sponsoring the Pink Run: “This is an unmissable event for us. It’s a celebration where women are the heroes and it embodies some of the core values that we share: altruism and engagement. We will keep supporting this event and the topics it stands for.”

The 2020 edition of the Pink Run will take place on 9-10 May in the iconic Prato della Valle square.

Source: DESPAR Northeast

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About SPAR Italy

SPAR International first granted a licence for the operation of the SPAR Brand to SPAR Italy in 1959. The first store opened in the latter part of 1960 and with it, SPAR became the first partnership of retailers and wholesalers to operate in Italy. SPAR Italy, known locally as DESPAR Italia, licenses regional partners, all of whom work together to grow the brand across the country.

The DESPAR Partners operate stores under three formats: DESPAR Neighbourhood Supermarkets, EUROSPAR Supermarkets and INTERSPAR Hypermarkets. Many of the larger format stores are company-owned, reflecting the scale of investment required. While the majority of the company’s turnover is acquired through these larger format stores, the independently owned neighbourhood supermarkets remain a key part of the business.