More than 50 people – from toddlers through to senior citizens – joined the BAPS Annual 10K Challenge in Loughborough on Sunday 10 April 2016.
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, in the past, the Challenge has helped Rainbows Hospice, LOROS, Leicester Hospital’s “The Our Space Appeal” and the Loughborough Sea Cadets.
The event kicked off shortly after 3.30pm from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Moira Street.
After the opening ceremony, participants walked, jogged or ran along a designated route around the town of Loughborough.
One of the participants, Rahul Sakaria (16), shared: “This is one of my favourite events of the calendar! I feel that it’s really important for us to do a fundraiser to give back to the local community, and this is always a fun and healthy event.”
One of the lead volunteers for the event, Atul Patel, added: “Loughborough has been taking part in this charity event for over 20 years now. It’s fantastic to see that after all these years, we still manage to get a good turnout of participants, both as old and young. We’re very grateful for everyone’s continuing support.”