More than 1,500 people gathered at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh in March for the ACE Charity Walk 2026, a 5-kilometer community event organized by the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) that raised $38,000 for Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, which provides free medical care to millions of Cambodian children each year.
Walk draws diplomats, students, and business leaders
The event, themed “Walk to Save Lives,” pulled together a broad cross-section of Cambodian civil society. HE Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, presided over the occasion, alongside ambassadors from Canada and Australia, executives from IDP Education, and leaders from the British and Australian Chambers of Commerce.
Participants began the morning with a warm-up session led by coaches from the SUSU Running Team before the walk got underway. A networking and celebration session followed, where attendees engaged with partner booths and marked the success of the initiative together.
Sreng Mao, Country Director of IDP Education and ACE and the founder of the CSR initiative, framed the event as something larger than a fundraiser. “The ACE Charity Walk is about more than fundraising. It is about bringing people together to make a meaningful difference. When our students, partners, and community walk side by side for a cause, we are instilling values of empathy, responsibility, and shared purpose that extend far beyond the classroom,” he said.
Funds go directly to free pediatric care
All proceeds from the walk go directly to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, a institution that has long been a lifeline for families across Cambodia who cannot afford private healthcare. The hospital treats hundreds of thousands of children annually at no cost.
The event drew support from a wide network of corporate sponsors and partner institutions, whose contributions were prominently featured on participant shirts and event materials, underscoring the cross-sector momentum behind the initiative. Organizations operating across Southeast Asia have increasingly turned to community-driven fundraising models like this one to sustain healthcare and social services in underserved regions.
A growing tradition of giving
This was not ACE’s first walk for a cause. The institution has organized similar events in previous years, building a tradition that connects academic life with civic responsibility. The strong turnout in 2026 suggests that tradition is only deepening.
The event also reflects a broader shift in how educational institutions are engaging with social impact work, moving beyond classroom learning to embed service and community care into their identity. It mirrors patterns seen elsewhere, including efforts by soccer stars and other public figures who have used their platforms to drive meaningful charitable outcomes for children’s health and education.