Mumbai: The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2012 is not just a great sporting event for Mumbaikars but has grown into one of India’s largest charity events in which a corporate tycoon, a Bollywood singer and a 12-year-old student among others are all geared up to raise funds for a cause on January 15 this year.
With the Athletics Federation of India giving a National Status to this marathon, the performance of athletes will be now considered for selection and participation in international marathons, including the London Olympics 2012.
Sports apart, this event, symbolizing the spirit of this city, has become a perfect opportunity for people to do their bit for charity and this is amply apparent as a new record of Rs 122 million has been already raised for 222 NGOs.
This year will also see 152 corporates with 223 teams, 4985 charity fund raisers and above 30,000 donors.
Among the Dream Teamers who will pledge and run on Sunday will be Meera Mehta, 12, the youngest, to have raised over Rs 100,000 for the Srimad Rajchandra Love and Care Trust. She says how impressed she was by all the work being done with love and dedication by the trust and therefore personally met many families of her friends and relatives to tell them of it. “People were more than happy to help me.”
Celebrated singer Shantanu Mukherjee, popularly known as Shaan to all his fans, will be raising funds for Salaam Bombay Foundation, which works with children on issues related to tobacco abuse.
“Tobacco is the only product in the world which when consumed as per manufacturer’s guidelines kills you!,” he says. As its tobacco control ambassador, he feels one of the biggest challenges children and youth face today is tobacco mainly in the form of gutka. He explains, “Since consumption starts at a very young age, it almost always leads to oral cancer with 50 percent of patients dying within a year of diagnosis. So one can imagine how important it is reach out to the youth and make them aware and motivate them to stay away from it. I believe our children have the right to a tobacco free life and I am doing my best to make it happen.”
Mihir Doshi, Managing Director and country CEO, Credit Suisse Bank, and founder trustee of United Way of Mumbai, the official charity partner, says, “It is immensely satisfying and humbling to know that the money raised reaches the right children for the right reasons.” For one who is highest pledge raiser, he wants to “raise the bar and support two NGOs— Childline India Foundation and Save the Children India—both of which are making a larger life impact on our children.”