Stepping Forward with VEGRUN — Los Angeles VERY FUN

Reported by Pan Ching Xia and Chu Yanjing, The Life News Agency, Los Angeles, USA

“VEGRUN VERY FUN!” Amid laughter and applause, Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple and the BLIA Los Angeles Chapter held their VEGRUN event on June 7 at Walnut High School Stadium in Los Angeles County. The event promoted the Plant-Based “A Plan” and featured lively activities such as a hula-hoop endurance challenge and a two‑person three-legged team race. With a commitment to plant one tree for every 20 kilometers completed, nearly 550 participants collectively accumulated enough mileage to plant 41 trees in wildfire-affected areas of Southern California, contributing to ecological restoration efforts.

The opening ceremony followed an Olympic‑style format. Members of the Hsi Lai BSA Troop 8888 carried the U.S. flag, California state flag, Buddhist flag, and BLIA flag,  escorting distinguished guests into the stadium. Representatives from BLIA Los Angeles subchapters, Hsi Lai Temple’s Three Acts of Goodness Academy, Hsi Lai Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, University of the West, and community groups from Walnut and Diamond Bar paraded around the track as their names were announced, greeted by cheers and waving hands.

Venerable Hui Dong, Abbot of Hsi Lai Temple, noted that VEGRUN promotes healthy living while supporting environmental protection. He praised participants for taking action to safeguard the planet and expressed his wish for a peaceful and harmonious world. BLIA Los Angeles Chapter President Echo Tsai thanked everyone for their enthusiastic participation and encouraged continued environmental advocacy through everyday action.

Other distinguished guests included Venerable Rusong, Chief Administrator of Hsi Lai Temple; Venerable Zhixing, Deputy Administrator; Diamond Bar Mayor Jiayou Deng; and BLIA Los Angeles Chapter Senior Advisors Sharon Chang and Alex Wu.

Walnut Valley Unified School District Board Member Yi Tong thanked the organizers for choosing Walnut High School as the venue and acknowledged BLIA’s donation of succulents to help beautify the campus.  San Gabriel City Councilmember Cheng-Yuan Wu praised the event for integrating health, vegetarianism, and environmental sustainability, succinctly stating, “Eat good vegetarian food, run well, and plant good trees.”  He also presented commendation certificates to Hsi Lai Temple, BLIA Los Angeles, and University of the West. UWest President Dr. Ming-Hwa Hsieh emphasized that “environmental protection is not a one-day effort, but a daily practice,” and invited the public to attend the university’s first vegetarian market on August 9.

As chants of “VEGRUN, GO! GO! GO!” echoed around the track, participants set off in walking and running groups, circling the field repeatedly to accumulate mileage for the tree planting project while encouraging one another. Grandparents walked hand in hand with their grandchildren, while couples ran side by side, sharing the joy of movement. After completing four laps, participants could redeem points for one of five beaded bracelets bearing slogans such as “RUN 4 LOVE.”  Many exclaimed how delightful they were and put them on immediately before continuing their laps.

The hula-hoop endurance challenge and the three-legged team race filled the stadium with laughter. In the hula-hoop event, participants first had to keep the hoop spinning for one minute without dropping it, then continue hula-hooping while walking to the finish line. The three-legged race tested teamwork, coordination, and focus, with teams required to complete additional tasks—such as kicking a shuttlecock three consecutive times or shouting “VEGRUN” three times—before sprinting to the finish.

As the event concluded, Diamond Bar Mayor Chia-Yu Teng praised the joyful atmosphere, noting that VEGRUN brought positive energy to families while meaningfully integrating a charitable tree-planting initiative.

Awards were then presented for chapter promotion and outstanding participation. Special recognition went to participants who completed more than eight laps, seniors over age 75, the youngest participants under age 6, families with more than six members participating, and winners of the fun competitions. Prizes included BLIA gold medals and eco-friendly tableware, while winners of the fun races received boxes of fresh vegetables. When the vegetable prizes—perfectly reflecting the VEGRUN theme—were unveiled, the crowd erupted in laughter and delighted exclamations of “How fun!” followed by a spirited chant of “VEGRUN! VEGRUN! VEGRUN!”

Community members Wang Zhixian and Wu Rong participated with their daughter, Wang Ziyu. Wu Rong received a gold medal for completing more than eight laps, while Wang Zhixian and Wang Ziyu won the three-legged race and took home two boxes of vegetables. The family shared their desire to join BLIA. They expressed joy and gratitude for VEGRUN’s meaningful integration of exercise and tree-planting charity, saying the experience inspired them to continue serving the community, and that they look forward to participating again.

Photo Captions (Photos 01–10 by Chang Chih Cheng)