More than 200 people in Leicester – from toddlers through to senior citizens – joined the BAPS Annual 10K Challenge on Sunday 22 April 2018.
The annual charity Challenge organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha 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 will go towards supporting BAPS’s multifarious educational, community and spiritual activities in Leicester serving children, youths, families and the elderly.
This year’s event will also support Ashfield Special Needs School for their outstanding work in helping young children who suffer from mental health problems in Leicestershire.
The 2018 Challenge will also be supporting BAPS’s national charity partner, Carers UK, the country’s only national membership charity for carers. It aims to make life better for the 6.5 million people in the UK who are supporting a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill.
Previous national partners for BAPS and BAPS Charities have included Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, the Anthony Nolan Trust, Barnardo’s, Breast Cancer Care, the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, KIDS, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
The event kicked off shortly after 10am from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Gypsy Lane.
After the opening ceremony, walkers, joggers and runners moved along the 10-kilometre route, which took them through the City Centre and then back down through the Golden Mile, eventually returning to the Mandir through Rushey Mead.
One of the lead volunteers for the event, Darshan Patel, shared, “It is wonderful to see so many families taking part in this annual event. Their dedication to come out on a Sunday to support these worthy causes for the local community makes this event such a success.”