New Delhi, Oct 17, 2024: As many as 78 not-for-profit organisations, more than 80 individual fundraisers, and 12 corporates, alongside thousands of donors, have collectively raised Rs 3 crore for charity at the 19th edition of the prestigious Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon.
This amount is almost two times the funds raised in 2023. Since its inception in 2005, the event has raised Rs 81.21 crore, positively impacting millions of lives. The fundraising is open till October 31.
The citizens of Delhi and other parts of India came together to uphold the 'Spirit of Giving' and celebrate #AaRangDeDilli at the 19th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon held recently.
To date, the overall funds raised by NGOs through direct donations are Rs 11.46 lakh, funds raised by individual fundraisers are Rs 52.06 lakh, corporate contributions amount to Rs 2.36 crore, and funds raised using the Charity Bibs are Rs 3.54 lakh.
The platform has gathered support for various social causes, such as child development, education, health, livelihood generation, organ transplant, disability (including children with cerebral palsy), cancer aid, support, and rehabilitation.
Commenting on the association and the philanthropy drive for this edition, Rina Kaushal, Chairperson of United Way of Delhi, said, "This year's philanthropy drive at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon has been an extraordinary collective effort, inspired by our motto, 'Cause It Matters'. We are immensely proud of the powerful collaboration between United Way of Delhi and our 78 NGO partners, who rallied together to support critical social development goals across various sectors. We are deeply grateful to our partners, fundraisers, and donors who have supported this mission and contributed to the collective success of our drive."
The event's title sponsor, Indian conglomerate Vedanta, boosted the event's philanthropic drive through innovative social impact campaigns that struck a strong chord with the runners in the last two years. Vedanta's #RunForZeroHunger campaign pledged to provide a nutritious meal for a needy child for every kilometre logged during the race. And this year, the target is 10 million meals through its flagship social impact initiative, Nand Ghar.
"Mass-participation sports have been indelibly linked to promoting social causes since immemorial. It is a humbling experience to witness so many citizens coming together for the greater good. Congratulations to all our fundraisers and United Way Delhi for their stellar efforts in ensuring the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is a silver lining to the social sector," said Vivek Singh, Jt MD, Procam International.
Jason Joshua Moses, 16, who will be running the Open 10K, has raised Rs 2,24,294 to support the Mohan Foundation, supporting a lifesaving mission of organ donation. Rania Sarker, a student, has raised Rs 1,24,900 for Miracle Foundation India.
Deepak Sharma, Trustee at Udayan Care, raised Rs 16,60,199 for the NGO. Anil Chawla raised Rs 5,37,251 for the VIPLA Foundation.
Etasha Society, an NGO dedicated to empowering youth through education and skill development, raised Rs 70,22,452. United Way Delhi, an independent not-for-profit organization affiliated with the United Way Worldwide Family, raised Rs 62,60,190. Udayan Care, a public charitable trust in child and youth care, education and empowerment of girls, skilled underprivileged youth and women, and advocacy for alternative care, child rights, and family strengthening, raised Rs 20,83,058.
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