To mark the 35th edition of the Roparun, the organization is launching a special musical project: the song ‘ Mag ik je danken’ . The song was written and sung by Lisanne Spaander and forms the heart of a nationwide donation campaign surrounding the anniversary edition of the Roparun. The accompanying music video was filmed in Paris, the historic location where the very first Roparun finished in 1992.
The song is a personal and emotional ode to all participants, volunteers, and donors who have dedicated themselves to the Roparun’s mission over the past 35 years: improving the comfort and quality of life of people with cancer.
Watch the video clip on YouTube:
Listen to the song on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2y2cHGG5xL9SvhyoOTvOpr?si=ff1c65e7693f47c2
A song of thanks for 35 years of dedication
With ‘ May I thank you’ , Lisanne Spaander expresses her deep appreciation for everyone who makes the Roparun possible. Year after year, thousands of people dedicate themselves to raising money for projects within palliative care for people with cancer.
The music video underscores that message. The choice to film in Paris is symbolic: it was here that the first Roparun finished in 1992. Since then, the event has grown into the largest relay race event in Europe.
Violinist Adinda van Delft also makes a special musical contribution to the song.
Personal story behind the song
The song is strongly connected to the personal story of Lisanne Spaander. At a young age, she was diagnosed with bone cancer twice. That experience changed her life and inspired her to use music as a force to connect people and give hope. Since her illness, Lisanne has been making music with a clear mission: to improve the quality of life for people with and after cancer worldwide and to connect people through the power of music.
She previously processed her experiences in the well-known song Vechtersbaas , which became a source of inspiration for many people dealing with cancer.
Music that touches the world
Over the past few years, Lisanne Spaander has grown into an inspiring voice both at home and abroad. She speaks and sings at international conferences, performed at the Ziggo Dome, appeared on the television program RTL Late Night, and sang at the opening of the Princess Máxima Center, of which she is also an ambassador. With “May I Thank You?” , she aims to touch and connect people once again, this time especially for everyone who dedicated themselves to the Roparun over the past year.
The song forms the basis of a nationwide donation campaign surrounding the anniversary edition of the Roparun. Gratitude is central to the campaign: for the thousands of participants covering kilometers, the volunteers who make the event possible, and the donors who support palliative care projects.
The Roparun takes place this year from May 23 to 25. During this largest non-stop relay race in the world, thousands of participants, divided into hundreds of teams, travel in a relay format from France or Enschede to Rotterdam to raise money for people with cancer.
Since the first edition, the Roparun has raised more than one hundred million euros for projects that contribute to the comfort and quality of life for people with cancer.
About the Roparun
The Roparun is a non-stop relay race of hundreds of kilometers in which teams raise money for charities within palliative care for people with cancer. The motto of the Roparun is: “Adding life to the days, where often no more days can be added to life.”For 35 years, the organization has supported many projects such as hospices, end-of-life holidays, wigs, and peer support, and has funded all wish ambulances in the Netherlands for ten years.
With the anniversary song ‘ Mag ik je danken’, the organization wants not only to reflect on 35 years of Roparun, but above all to look forward to a future in which even more people can be helped.
