THE annual charity run organised by the Singapore Exchange (SGX) was launched on Friday.

Despite the current economic gloom, The Bull Charge 2009, in its sixth year, hopes to keep donations pouring in for 11 selected charities in Singapore.

To date, it managed to raise some $600,000.

'Undeniably, all of us are feeling the pinch in the current economic crisis. However, we are also acutely aware of the dire needs of our beneficiaries, especially during these difficult times,' said SGX chief executive Hsieh Fu Hua.

'We hope that more companies will step forward to show their support.'

Early sponsors of The Bull Charge 2009 include Noble Group, Thai Beverage, United Overseas Bank and CapitaLand Hope Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CapitaLand.

This time, the 3.2-km charity fun run, which takes place on Nov 20, a Friday, will be flagged off at The Float@Marina Bay.

The event raised $2.1 million for 19 charities last year.

For more information on contribution and participation as well as the full list of beneficiaries, visit http://bullcharge.sgx.com.