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| And the crowd cheered us along... |
Father
Joseph H. Pereira, led the nearly 50- strong team of runners for Kripa
Foundation at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2013, on January 20th. Fr.
Joe’s participation was sponsored by Piramal Healthcare while the Kripa team,
which included runners from the ‘Friends of Kripa’, staff and patients were sponsored
by Earnest John Group of companies led by Dr Earnest Joseph John II, Managing
Director, Ms Chloris John, Director, Mr. Dean John, Director, Mr. N.N. Pal,
CEO, Mr. B.S, Shenoy Vice President Operations along with their staff.
Fr.
Joe was participating under the select ‘Dream Wizard’ category and the Kripa
Foundation- Earnest John combine consisted of runners under the Dream Run, Half
Marathon and Senior Citizen categories. This was the 10th
consecutive year that Kripa Foundation was participating in what is billed as
India’s largest fund raising event.
Kripa
Foundation began preparations for participation in the 10th edition
of the SCMM Mumbai Marathon 2013 several months ago with a team led by Mr.
Brett Rodricks, Counselor, Kripa Foundation, who launched a massive awareness drive to
inform ‘Friends of Kripa’- an online forum of well wishers in India and abroad,
of the NGO, about the event, who contributed generously to the Kripa cause of
rehabilitating substance addicts while preventing the spread of HIV/ AIDS,
through the online pages of various runners and Fr. Joe. Several local
well-wishers pledged their support to Kripa through cash and cheques.
The
runners led by Fr. Joe and Dr. Earnest John II ( Dr, Suren) assembled at Azad
Maidan, Mumbai where Fr. Joe, in a brief speech cheered all the participants
and blessed their efforts on behalf of their marginalized brethren some of whom
were afflicted by the deadly scourge of HIV/ AIDS by hailing “Addiction & AIDs
Murdabad,” (down with addiction and AIDS while the runners responded “ Kripa Foundation Zindabad” (long live Kripa Foundation). With these
cheers, the Kripa-Earnest John team embarked on their Dream Run from Azad
Maidan to Metro, Dhobi Talao, Churchgate and Nariman Point a distance of nearly
5 kms.
Fr.
Joe and Dr. Suren were an inspiration to all the runners since they did not
pause or rest for a single minute during the entire marathon. Indeed, Fr. Joe
proved how Yoga and meditation helped a person to remain physically and
mentally fit. Mr. Bosco D’ Souza our National Program Director regaled the Kripa- Earnest John team with
jokes and banters while covering the event pictorial
At the end of the dream run in his gratitude to Kripa Mr. Bosco D'Souza said " Last year Fr. Joe helped me to WALK.. This Year Fr. Joe helped me to RUN".
Submitted by
Ashwin Honawar
Francis Fernandes
Brett Rodricks
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