About 100 participants, including OCI employees and visually impaired runners, pose for a commemorative photo at the 12th Harmony Marathon with the Visually Impaired on the 13th. Photo courtesy of OCI Holdings
Employees of OCI Group have participated in guide-runner volunteer activities with an organization for the visually impaired for the 18th consecutive year.
OCI Holdings (010060) said Tuesday that about 80 employees and family members from its affiliates carried out guide-runner and plogging volunteer activities at the “12th Eoullim Marathon with the Visually Impaired,” held Sunday at Peace Plaza in Sangam World Cup Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Employees from six affiliates participated in the event, including OCI Holdings, operating company OCI Company, OCI Information & Communication, OCI Dream (a standard workplace for the disabled), OCI SE (Saemangeum combined heat and power plant), and Bukwang Pharmaceutical.
Since 2009, OCI Group has continued its “Light-Sharing Companion Runner” volunteer program twice a year, in spring and fall, serving as guide runners for members of the Korea Visually Impaired Marathon Association.
Now in its 12th year, the Eoullim Marathon with the Visually Impaired is a marathon and walking event in which people with and without disabilities participate together, contributing to improving public awareness of disabilities in society.
The 48 people who participated this time as Light-Sharing Companion Runners completed the half-marathon, 10-kilometer, and 5-kilometer courses starting from the plaza in front of Peace Park, connected at the wrist to visually impaired marathoners by a specially made “trust string.”
Other participants, including running beginners and families with children, ran or walked the 5-kilometer course leisurely, while employees who did not take part in the marathon served as event staff and engaged in plogging, an activity of picking up trash while walking or jogging.
In addition, OCI Holdings runs various social contribution programs, including the “Love 1004 Movement,” in which 1,004 won is deducted monthly from employees’ salaries as donations, the “All Together Dream” charity event for Disability Day, and the “OCI Dream Ensemble,” a classical music ensemble of musicians with disabilities.
“Based on the voluntary participation of our employees, we will continue donation, volunteer, and environmental protection activities going forward and spread a healthy culture of sharing,” said Cha Jung-hwan, executive director of OCI Holdings’ External Cooperation Office.