Guatemala ranks first in child malnutrition throughout Latin America and is 6th worldwide. 75% of children living in rural areas have no calories and nutrients needed for their development.Ironically, people that live in the city have all types of nutrients and calories, creating a caloric imbalance in the country.In 2011 Abbott Laboratories created an initiative to help children suffering from malnutrition, with its various lines of nutritional supplements.We created an activity involving people that at the same time created awareness for the brand: the first race where you could donate the calories that were lost to children who needed them, turning every calorie into $1 that Abbott would donate in nutritional supplements.Over 14,000 people participated in the activity, making it the biggest race in Guatemala and ‘raising’ more than 2m calories. We were able to generate free media nationally and internationally. This activity was replicated in Venezuela and Nicaragua and by the end of 2012 it's expected to be replicated in 3 more countries.

The goal was that a minimum of 3,000 runners participate in the race, this being the amount that is usually achieved at races in the country. Another goal was to raise 500,000 calories to get a percentage of malnourished children help.We were mainly looking to attract all those who were interested in helping, including opinion leaders and international communities who show concern about the laboratory and the society.

In June 2011 the race was held in Guatemala's famous Avenue, Avenida Reforma'; we first launched a campaign 2 weeks before in order to invite people to participate. People only had to register on the website or the day of the race. At the time of registration people had to enter their weight and distance they would run; software then estimated the amount calories people would burn during the race; they could post the results on their social networks. The calories turned into nutritional supplements that Abbott donated to children with malnutrition. Burning calories was an innovative way to donate.

3,000 participants were expected at the day of the race; more than 14,000 showed up.Our goal was to raise 500,000 calories and the result was more than 2.5m calories, which became nutritional supplements that provided treatment to thousands of malnourished children.Nutritional supplements sales of Abbott Laboratories grew by 60%.The race was widely discussed in social networks.• ‘5K race Calories for Lives’ became the biggest race of Guatemala.• More than $1.5m in free media.

• The project has been replicated in Venezuela and Nicaragua and by the end of 2012 it’s expected to be replicate in 3 more countries.• Thousands of children are receiving treatment with Abbott nutritional supplements.

We created the race 'Calories for Lives' where people were running in order to help fight child malnutrition in Guatemala. In this race no matter what place were arriving, the most important thing was to donate calories and convert them to help, as each calorie Abbott donated $1 in nutritional supplements to children in need.Prior to the race a website was created so people could calculate how many calories they had lost during the race and post the results on their social networks.

In the city people consume an excessive amount of calories, but in rural areas children die from a lack of them. We needed to create awareness about the problem of malnutrition as well as creating awareness for the brand.The opportunity: create an activity gathering as many people as possible that could participate and fight this problem.