On 20th November 2025, Fo Guang Shan Christchurch and BLIA South Island Chapter held the third Global VegRun – You Run, I Plant Trees with Avonside Girls’ High School in Christchurch. A total of 45 students took part in the event and contributed 175 trees.
The VegRun initiative, launched in 2023, was a collaborative environmental project between the BLIA South Island Chapter and local schools in New Zealand. For every kilometre students ran, one native tree was donated to Trees That Count, a nationwide organisation supported native forest restoration.
Teacher Denley Jones shared that it was the school’s first time joining the charity run and the students showed great enthusiasm and cooperation. He expressed gratitude for the invitation and looked forward to future collaboration. The students also shared that they were proud to take part in such a meaningful activity that contributed to environmental protection. The Temple prepared auspicious apples for all participants.
The first two South Island VegRun events were held on 19th September and 21st October at St Thomas College and Hornby High School. All three runs were 415 teachers and students participated, resulting in a total contribution of 2,205 trees. Partner schools expressed their appreciation to the BLIA South Island Chapter for organising an event that promoted physical well-being, strengthened community connection and fostered care for the planet.