Students, athletes run together for gender equality in Anupshahr
LUCKNOW: Over 1800 people, from villagers and students to international-level athletes, ran towards a common goal on Sunday -- spreading awareness about gender equality and justice.
Based on the theme ‘Aao Saath Chalein’ (Come, let us walk together), the second annual half-marathon in Anupshahr town of Bulandshahr saw the presence of 1992 Asian marathon champion Sunita Godara and Monika Chaudhary, winner of four gold medals at the World Police Games in the USA, who ran with the participants to spread the message of girl’s rights.
The marathon was organised by the Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES) and Run With Me, with the Sunday Run Club being the running partner.
Several renowned corporate houses such as Coragen – DuPont, BlackBerrys, Indian Oil, Pepsi, RJ Corp, Dun & Bradstreet and Coca Cola sponsored the event.
Despite the heavy down- pour, the school ground was brimming with life and energy, as hundreds of youngsters from villages, schools, PPES students, representatives of corporate sponsors and local enthusiasts participated in the run, which was flagged off by Sunita Godara.
Addressing the gathering, PPES founder Virendra Singh expressed his joy over the successful completion of the event and said, “This event was started last year by PPES to spread awareness about the rights of the girl child and promoting equal opportunities for them.”
The marathon was completed without any mishaps and all the participants were provided with medals, refreshments and certificates.