Prince Carl Philip joined those running on Sunday to support the Lilla Barnets Fond, or Little Child’s Fund, a nonprofit association that supports medical research and development for newborn children and their future health.
The prince has served as patron of the fund since 2009. All proceeds from the “Spring for Little Life” race, which took part in Hagaparken in Stockholm, benefit Swedish research on newborns.
The prince shared a photo on his official Instagram account, posting “Today I ran for @lillabarnetsfond thank you for all you do!”
The Lilla Barnets Fond Instagram account also shared photos from the day, including selfies of the prince with participants. One young boy called Dean said, “We have the best and kindest prince in the world who cares about the sick and he runs fast too.”
Those taking part in the race could choose to run five or ten kilometres and the event also offered a 400-metre distance for younger children. Prince Carl Philip ran the 5km distance for the second year in a row and looked to have a great time interacting with the other racers. He spent time snapping photos with children after the adult race and chatting with families who have been impacted by the fund.
According to the royal family’s publication on the event, “In Sweden, more than 10,000 newborn babies each year need advanced post-natal care to survive and not suffer from lifelong disabilities. The research on these small, newborn children is vital and therefore the national association Little Child’s Fund started in October 2008.”
The race is a natural fit for Prince Carl Philip, who is a keen sportsman and committed to causes related to sport, as well as children’s interests. In addition to the Little Child’s Fund, he is patron of the Sigvard & Marianne Bernadotte’s Research Foundation for Childhood Care. The prince – an accomplished racecar driver – also created the Prince Carl Philip Racing Cup prize, which helps young people progress in the sport of karting.
