Raising Funds Through The Strength And Power Of A Sport
The 14th edition of Asia’s distance running event, the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) once again captivated the country with its belief, courage, and passion. Since inception, the marathon has been empowering lives by encouraging citizens to take a step in support of the less fortunate.
Money for charity in aid was raised for multiple causes including health care, education, disability, underprivileged communities, women empowerment, animal welfare, environment conservation, grassroots sports development, elderly care, gender equality, social, civic, and community development through the efforts of its philanthropy partner, United Way India. Rs 32.93 crores were raised for the same.
“This time our theme for the charity aspect has been “Run exceptional,” showcasing the outstanding efforts by people who have chosen to make their ‘run exceptional’ by raising funds for worthy causes. As the official philanthropy partner, the responses we have got from the corporate sector have been overwhelming as always. Each and every one of these amazing individuals has gone beyond dreaming about change by actively working towards it,” said Jayanti Shukla, Executive Director, United Way Mumbai.
The charity figures have risen steadily from Rs 1.44 crores in 2004 to Rs 32.93 crores in 2017. The top three NGOs to raise funds were Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, Isha Vidya and Amar Seva Sangam, which raised over Rs 6.58 crores collectively.
Change Icons, who are considered crusaders for social change were Mihir Doshi, husband-wife duo Sankara Raman &Ramani Sankara Raman, Villy Doctor, Abhay Jasani and Anand Mahindra have collectively raised over Rs 4.13 crores.
The Younger Leaders category was introduced in 2016 with an aim to encourage young philanthropists and instill the act of giving from an early age. This year, over 136 young leaders below the age of 21 years including 24 who were elevated to Change Runner, raised Rs 1.97 crores for their respective NGOs. 169 Change Runners raised over Rs 11.92 crores.
In his concluding remarks, Vivek B Singh, Joint Managing Director, Procam International said, “In the last 14 years, the marathon has gone from a dream to one of India’s largest charity drives, and this effort continues to grow year after year. It inspires individuals to be the change they want to see in the world and make an impact, no matter how big or small. With the curtain drawing on the 2017 edition, we are grateful for all the support, faith and contribution to this sporting and social revolution.”
Procam’s distance running events have emerged as the largest cause agnostic fundraising platforms in the country. Since 2004, they have brought to light causes of more than 700 NGOs, raising over Rs 261 crores in charity.
Amongst the corporate, the highest fundraising company was Credit Suisse Securities (India) followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank and Godrej and Boyce.
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