On 20th October, Fo Guang Shan Christchurch and BLIA NZ South Island held the first VegRun event of 2026 at Hornby High School in Christchurch. A total of 250 students took part and ran a combined distance of 400 kilometres. BLIA South Island will donate NZ$4,000 to plant 400 trees in New Zealand. BLIA South Island President James LOW led four BLIA members to the school to cheer on the students.
The New Zealand VegRun programme, You Run, I Plant Trees is organised by BLIA South Island together with local schools. For every kilometre run by students, one tree will be donated through Trees That Count, a New Zealand tree-planting organisation. The programme supports the goal of planting one billion trees by 2028.
The run took place on the school grounds. President James explained the purpose of VegRun and thanked the school and students for their support and participation. BLIA members also introduced the Three Acts of Goodness and encouraged students to practise them during the run: Do Good Deeds by helping to plant trees and protect the Earth, Say Good Words by cheering on their classmates, and Think Good Thoughts by wishing for a greener planet.
Teacher Quenten Brown said the weather was warm and sunny and he was happy to see the students enjoying the run. He thanked the organisers for arranging the event and helping students learn about protecting the environment and hoped to work together again next year.
At the end of the event, students were delighted to receive apples prepared by the Temple. VegRun brought the school and Temple together to care for the Earth and make New Zealand greener. The day ended with happy smiles, laughter and a shared joy in doing something good for the environment.
