An motley group of five bankers and doctors have embarked on a bicycle journey from Delhi’s India Gate to Mumbai’s Gateway of India to raise funds for underprivileged children fighting cancer.
The story of this incredible journey starts with Wurlee 545, a group of a few amateur bicycle enthusiasts who would meet every morning in Worli, Mumbai, to pursue their common interest on wheels and stay fit.
The relay non-stop cycle journey of 1,500 km aims to raise funds for the Mumbai-based St. Jude Childcare Centre, a non-profit organisation that provides accommodation for children from poor families undergoing cancer treatment in five cities across the country. Having already raised Rs 1.2 crore through crowd-funding and philanthropy, the group expects to manage a figure of Rs 1.5 crore.
“We are following the relay race format with three sets of riders. Each rider will ride around 500 km over three days. This is 60 hours non-stop marathon challenge, with 10 riders and five in spare. We also have a support staff of eight people,” said Jaymin Shah, country manager of a renowned Swiss bicycle brand (SCOTT), sponsoring the bikes.
“Each bicycle costs Rs 2.5 lakh, so the rider’s comfort is not an issue. These premium range bicycles will be auctioned 15 days after the completion of ride in Mumbai,” added Mr Shah.
The ride with a tag line ‘Wheels won’t stop’ has already got twitter support from cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh besides author Chetan Bhagat.
The Mumbai-based NGO runs 18 centres across five major cities in India.
