Oriented from the Happy Run events held in 2023 to celebrate the Corporation’s 35th anniversary, FPT’s IT services division for international markets launched a worldwide running event called Happy Giga Run.

In 1999, FPT was determined to export software, venturing into the global market, marking its first footprints in numerous countries and territories around the world. After 25 years, to celebrate this significant milestone, a global scale running event was organized for the first time, bringing together participants of diverse cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities to once again leave their footprints across regions where the company has established its presence.

The run took place along breathtaking routes, passing local landmarks and historical sites. Joining FPT employees were their families, friends, partners, and clients. Beyond the happiness of enhancing physical health and sharing (Happy), the Happy Giga Run also embodies FPTs’ collective determination (Giga) to achieve shared goals, spreading positive energy and meaningful values to the community through various charitable activities.

In Greek, Giga means “giant” and is a prefix used to show a scale larger by 1,000,000,000 (one billion) times. After becoming the first Vietnam-headquartered tech firm to surpass one billion USD in revenue from global IT services, since 2024, FPT Software has continued to set new challenges called the 5 Giga including billion-dollar single market, billion-dollar single domain, billion-dollar profit, billion-dollar single deal, and billion-dollar account.

With the theme Around the World, throughout 2023, the Happy Giga Run Season 1 connected company members, their families, friends, and partners across 35 running locations in 28 countries and territories worldwide. This inaugural journey attracted 11.589 participants in total.

At the Happy Giga Run, amateur runners had the chance to stride along breathtaking routes in different countries, turning every step into an unforgettable experience. 

As they witnessed moments filled with happiness and participated in inspiring runs, FPT’s global guests were able to immerse themselves in FPT’s culture. These connections have transformed collaborative relationships into close friendships with FPT.

After a journey spreading across the globe, the Happy Giga Run 2023 concluded with a run around Hoan Kiem Lake – the “heart” of Hanoi – on the morning of August 26, 2023. FPT employees from many countries, along with their families and friends, as well as students and the tech community, joined in and enjoyed the event to the fullest, with many having the opportunity to showcase unique outfits while running. Going beyond a typical running event, the occasion turned into a festival with a vibrant Carnival of cultural colors from the countries and territories where FPT has made its mark. Many runners made impressions with their creative costumes, turning the route around Hoan Kiem Lake into a dynamic and artistic showcase.

At this time, FPT’s software export sector had over 27,000 employees from 52 different nationalities, working in more than 70 offices across 28 countries and territories globally. For every kilometer completed by a runner, FPT Corporation converted it into a contribution to the Hope Foundation, dedicated to building educational facilities for children in remote areas.

Building on the success of Season 1, the Happy Giga Run goes beyond running to spread acts of kindness with meaningful impact on communities and society, fostering sustainable happiness in countries and territories around the world. With the message “Together, We Do Good”, the Happy Giga Run 2024 extended warm support through charitable activities for people with disabilities, disadvantaged women, children in difficult circumstances, and others across 25 locations in 13 countries and territories worldwide.

In the United States, the Happy Giga Run was combined with a charity golf tournament. Golf is a popular sport in the U.S., with one in every seven people playing. As part of the Happy Giga Run, FPT sponsored the Mary Kay Charity Golf Classic, an annual fundraising event for cancer research and domestic violence prevention for women. Additionally, FPT supported the Women in Tech Tournament, inspiring women to venture into the tech field, as well as the Halliburton Charity Golf Tournament, which helps those less fortunate.

In the Philippines, FPT employees dedicated the last weekend of September to environmental and community charity activities. Before dawn, Vietnamese and Filipino colleagues put on blue shirts, protective gloves, and carried brooms and trash bags to clean up Corso Beach near the Cebu Port. No one rested until the beach was restored to its pristine state and all the trash bags were properly disposed of. As part of the initiative, FPT employees also engaged in other volunteer activities, including visiting and delivering gifts to homeless and disabled children at the Little Lambs Center in Cebu, donating blood to the Red Cross in Manila, and visiting the elderly at the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly – Sta. Teresa Jornet Home. There, FPT members spent time chatting, singing, and sharing positive energy with the elderly residents.

In the neighboring country, FPT staff in Indonesia turned the Happy Giga Run into an “into nature” trekking trip. They brought saplings to the Sentul mountains to plant, contributing to the greening of the environment. The team also visited the Putra Nusa orphanage in Jakarta, bringing smiles to the children while offering encouragement and donations to boost their spirits and give them hope.

In India, FPT employees also chose to bring the spirit of the Happy Giga Run to underprivileged children. At a rural school in Gudipally, located 150 kilometers from Hyderabad, FPT not only spread the happy running steps but also installed a water filtration system for the school. As a result, more than 220 students now have access to clean water, safeguarding their health against environmental pollution. Additionally, the volunteer group donated learning materials and sports equipment, helping the students continue their education and nurture their passion for sports like football, volleyball, and cricket – just like their peers in the city.

In France, FPT organized a series of Happy Giga Run activities during October Rose – a month dedicated to support breast cancer patients, which has become a growing movement in countries like the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. The month also honors Vietnamese women. During this time, FPT hosted workshops to raise awareness about breast cancer, as well as a craft workshop to make gifts for cancer patients and contribute to the Breast Cancer Fund of the National Cancer Prevention League  (Ligue Contre le Cancer), offering support and strength to patients battling the disease. Additionally, FPT employees and their families wore pink ribbons – the symbol of October Rose – while running at Lebeaudy Park in Puteaux along the picturesque Seine River.

Alongside the joyful running steps around the world, Happy Giga Run 2024 also reached many corners of Vietnam. FPT partnered with the Hope Foundation to implement the “Light Up The School” initiative, painting and providing new equipment for schools in remote and border regions.

Located 45-50 kilometers from the center of Song Ma District, Son La Province, the Pao Lan and Na Un school sites lie nestled amidst majestic mountains, where over 300 Thai, H’Mong, and Xinh Mun students strive daily in their “educational persuits”.

Mr. Vu Thanh Tuan, Principal of Yen Hung Primary School shared: “The total number of students at the school currently stands at 854. Although we have enough classrooms, the infrastructure is deteriorating, and we face severe shortages of essential equipment, furniture, and blackboards”.

After the devastating impact of Typhoon Yagi, FPT quickly provided support, including school supplies, clothing, and other practical gifts contributed by its employees to help teachers and students overcome the miserables.

The journey of sharing also extended to other mountainous provinces in Northern Vietnam. At Minh Bao Primary and Secondary School and Au Lau Secondary School in Yen Bai Province, FPT donated 50 computers, educational equipment, clothing, and gifts to help students resume their studies post-typhoon. At Quang Chieu Secondary School in Muong Lat District, Thanh Hoa Province, FPT funded the construction of sanitation facilities, provided 20 sets of desks and chairs, and a 55-inch TV to enhance teaching and learning, along with hundreds of gifts to students. Meanwhile, at Son Giang School in Son Ha District, Quang Ngai Province, FPT “refreshed” five school sites, providing learning equipment and awarding “FPT Wings for Dreams” scholarships there. Also, FPT visited the Vo Hong Son Center for Disabled Children in the province to bring joy to children with special circumstances.

Dinh Thi Nhu Y, a student from Lang Re school site: “This is the first time I have had the chance to run with the people from FPT, my teachers, and friends. We held hands with them as we crossed the finish line together.”

Each school site was an emotional stop along the journey. At these sites, FPT employees, students, parents, and teachers put on their Happy Giga Run shirts and joined together in step with the global running initiative. These happy strides not only extended the journey of love but also brought hope to brighten the future of children in these remote villages.

Through joy and a shared determination to spread kindness, people from everywhere, regardless of culture, nationality, or skin color, can connect. The Happy Giga Run not only fulfills its mission of bringing people together across continents, but also ignites and spreads the heartfelt values within each individual, transforming personal happiness into shared values and meaningful community activities. It is not just a run, but an effort to inspire positive living and encourage people to stand together to create and spread the good: “Together, We Do Good”. Looking further, this is also how FPT people around the world build a unique corporate culture, one that strongly reflects their identity, where joy is intertwined with respect for diversity and inclusivity.

Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, EVP of FPT Corporation, once shared: “Our work culture is that we must have fun. No matter how challenging or demanding it gets, we must find joy. Our philosophy has always been: Before we can work together, we must be able to play together. To know whether we can play together, we must have a space to express that.”

The content of this article has been translated into English from the original version on Kenh14.
The original Vietnamese content of the article can be found here:
https://kenh14.vn/nhung-buoc-chan-hanh-phuc-tren-toan-cau-215241226192724051.chn