More than 270 people – from toddlers through to senior citizens – joined the BAPS Annual 10K Challenge on Sunday 24 April 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.
The charity Challenge organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) brought together more than 3,000 enthusiastic participants from towns and cities across the UK for a fun and healthy way to raise money for various worthy causes and local charities.
The funds from this year’s event will go towards BAPS’s multifarious educational, community and spiritual activities serving children, youths, families and the elderly.
Previous national partners, under the auspices of BAPS and BAPS Charities, have included the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Breast Cancer Care, Age UK, Barnardo’s, KIDS, The Anthony Nolan Trust, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Locally, volunteers from Prostate Cancer and Cancer Research UK were present to promote cancer awareness with information leaflets and advice.
The event kicked-off shortly after 10.30am in the Olympic Park in the presence of Newham Councillors Mukesh Patel and Unmesh Desai.
Addressing the gathering, Cllr Unmesh Patel said, “I am proud to be present for today’s charity event and applaud the wonderful charitable work BAPS carries out for the benefit of all communities.”
After the opening ceremony, walkers, joggers and runners moved along the route around the Olympic Stadium, ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower and the Aquatics Centre.
Akshay Patel shared, “I was surprised how many ran with me, young and old, and enjoyed the running in the famous Olympic Park not just for fun but to raise funds for charity.”
One of the lead volunteers for the event, Girish Patel, added: “This is the first time we’ve held the 10K Challenge locally in East London. Despite the chilly weather, we had a great turnout. So it was wonderful to see so many contributing to this worthy cause. A big thank you to everyone involved, especially all the volunteers who helped make it a safe and enjoyable experience for the participants.”