Chennai:
Come 27th September, Chennai will take to the streets! More than one lakh residents, joined by international marathon champions, film stars and players of the Chennai Super Kings, will run for a cause. Even differently abled people have demonstrated their desire to sweat it out. All this is to put more than fourteen thousand poor children in schools.
A 7-kilometre walk will be attempted on the big day. Last year, the Chennai Marathon witnessed a huge turnout, surpassing even the Boston Run.
"The visually challenged people made a symbolic walk of 100 meters to challenge the city that if we can, why can't you," says Fr. Jagath Gasper, the organizer of the Idea Give Life Chennai Marathon.
The convenor, Gopi Krishnan says, "We don't want to receive. We want to start giving."
The run will raise money for the education of more than fourteen thousand underprivileged children. Akila Srinivasan, the managing trustee of Give Life explains, "If a Chennai-ite can come and run, a child can go back to school. That is the essence of this marathon".