Tamilnadu Run 2017 Highlights

David — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 18:08:26 +0000

Great memories from the latest Tamilnadu Run.

The 2017 edition of the Tamilnadu Run Rickshaw Challenge was a great success, from training in Chennai, exploring remote areas of the state, to the return to Chennai and the inevitable partying. Here are some of our favourite photos from the event!

Eager to Learn

From the classroom…

… to the practice ground.

Fantastic Costumes

The cool.

The interesting.

The scary.

And the couple.

The Pongal Challenge

Playing with fire.

Celebrating victory.

A great group!

Always Ready for a Photo

Sometimes the driver keeps their eyes on the road…

Sometimes they don’t….

Sometimes the rickshaw is moving fast…

Sometimes it isn’t…

The beautiful Rickshaws

Just because.

Ready to race!

The Final Ceremony

Medals for everyone!

Winners of the ‘Bonkers’ Trophy: Team “Paddy Losties”.

The overall winners: Team “Morning Glory”.

And finally, a big thanks to everyone for participating!

Are you crazy enough to come along for the ride? Then join us on the next Rickshaw Challenge. Get a team together and let’s see you at the starting line! If you want to join us in spirit, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagramto keep up with our latest antics.

Rickshaw Challenge – Malabar Rampage 2016: School Visit

veronika — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:02:46 +0000

Today, our teams were flagged off from the Government School at Mallikatte, starting the route from Mangalore to Murudeshwar. Before embarking on their journey, however, our 38 participants had the opportunity to make new friends and share stories with the youngsters studying at the school.

Say Cheese for the Class Photo!

It was wonderful to see how the kids lit up when they saw the colourful rickshaws pull into the courtyard – the participants also brought along some gifts with them, like pens, pencils and watercolour paint palettes. The children also got to drive around in the vehicles and have some fun with the teams; everyone had a great time.

Let’s Have a Bit of Rickshaw Fun!

The Rickshaw Challenge has been actively a part of supporting the charity Round Table of India in completing their mission – with each run, we wish to contribute to the organization’s goals.

They See Us Rollin’…

Our teams play a significant role in raising funds with the Round Table of India under their program: “Freedom Through Education.” Our 38 participants also contribute to the futures of the young students by inspiring them to go beyond their country’s borders and learn everything they can about the world. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved, and after the visit, our rickshaw gurus continued on the road energized and as positive as ever.

The Rickshaw Challenge and Round Table India Team Up to Transform Schools

Brianne — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 03:00:25 +0000

Over the past nine years, the Rickshaw Challenge has drawn more than 1,500 people from across the globe to India, where they have donned wacky costumes to dodge potholes, cows, motorbikes, and more from behind the wheel of an auto-rickshaw.
What many also have done is used their unconventional holiday to help Indian kids have a more positive and productive educational experience by raising funds for the exclusive charity partner of the Rickshaw Challenge, Madras Midtown Round Table 42 (MMRT 42), one of 200 “Tables “in the Round Table India (RTI) network. RTI, which provides young men with social and civic opportunities, is committed to reaching one million children through its classroom-building initiative, Freedom through Education.

Sandeep speaking with Pallikaranai’s principal, Ms. Shantha

The partnership began when Chennai businessman and MMRT 42 “Tabler” Sandeep Mall met Rickshaw Challenge Founder Aravind Bremanandam through a former “Tabler,” and participated in the first Classic Run. It always has been important to Aravind, a social worker by training, that the Rickshaw Challenge (and his other rallies) benefits communities along the routes.
“We believe that a big part of the spirit of adventure is spreading happiness by giving back to people who do not share our advantages, and leaving the places we visit better off than when we arrived,” says Aravind. “We encourage our adventurers to take part in our charity efforts with in-kind donations or by fundraising, and have found it’s usually a high point of their experience.”

a few of the old classrooms

The partnership started small and grew slowly, but to date, Rickshaw Challenge teams have raised nearly $300,000 for schools where, according to Sandeep, “good stuff is happening, but poor infrastructure is holding them back.” He explains many students in India have to sit outside or on the ground to learn, and if there are buildings, many are in poor condition, with no fans to provide relief from the heat. “You would be roasted,” he says.

Tuk the Challenge in the news

Two customized rickshaw rallies – Pimp My Tuk Tuk in 2013 and Tuk the Challenge in fall 2014 – also have been held to benefit MMRT 42, together bringing in $100,000.
“We all wanted to give something back and fundraise for a worthy cause that had children and education core to its goals,” says Tuk the Challenge organizer Derek Vann on the team’s GIVEasia page. “We wanted to fundraise in a unique way that would push us to the limits, and at the same time, be fun and rewarding.”
Rickshaw Challenge teams also visit schools in Chennai and other cities along the rally’s five different routes – coordinated through the RTI network by MMRT 42 – gifting school supplies and sports equipment, and playing with the kids.

Glenn Kelly clowns around with the school kids in Tuticorin. (Photo credit: Glenn Kelly)

“Getting to visit the schools, meet the children, and give our donations of school supplies directly to them was a highlight of our time in India,” says Classic Run 2015 participant Glenn Kelly of team The Trashbag. “Seeing the excitement as 40 crazy westerners turned up in multi-colored rickshaws is something I’ll never forget. And just having an hour to speak and interact with the kids gave me a wonderful insight into life in India today.” (Glenn captured a Tuticorin school visit in this fun video.)

the new building at Pallikaranai (phase one)

One regular stop in Chennai is Pallikaranai Government Secondary High School in the southern suburb of Vengaivasal. Described by Sandeep as a “showcase school” due to its dedicated staff and high student performance, Pallikaranai educates 2,500 boys and girls – many who live in nearby slums – from grades 6 to 12. On my last day in India, Sandeep met me there so I could see first-hand what funds raised by the Rickshaw Challenge are helping accomplish.

the “inspirational” speaker

The sprawling campus is set back off a main road in what seems to be a quieter part of town than where the modern office parks are located just a few miles away. In the front of the campus, faded, rectangular buildings dot a shady courtyard, where that day a few hundred students sat attentively on the ground listening to (what was supposed to be) an inspirational speaker psych them up for upcoming state exams.
Sandeep led me through the assembly to the rear of the campus, where at the far end of a large, sunny clearing sat a bright, shiny, two-story building, in stark contrast to the crumbling row of old classroom blocks leading up to it. This new building – comprised of 12 classrooms (six on the first floor and six on the second floor) – was phase one of MMRT 42’s commitment to Pallikaranai.

the site of the second building (phase two)

Phase two is a second, larger building consisting of 18 classrooms (9 on the first floor and 9 on the second floor), which is currently under construction next to the first. Sandeep expects it to open months earlier than originally scheduled – the target is now June. He says that a “Tabler” regularly stops by to check in on progress.
The cost of each classroom is approximately $10,000, and MMRT 42 requires nothing of the receiving schools except for a signed memo of understanding outlining that MMRT 42 will provide the physical space along with fans, lights and chalkboards; schools will provide the desks and chairs.

one of the bright, new classrooms

The investment does not end when construction is finished, however. MMRT 42 stays in contact with the schools, and sometimes helps meet additional needs the schools identify – at Pallikaranai, for example, they have provided a water purification system and books.
Since RTI is an all-volunteer organization, MMRT 42 has zero overhead, and raises additional funds through “Tabler” contributions and events such as concerts. The Indian government, along with international foundations and corporations, such as the Timken Foundation and Procter & Gamble, also have provided grants.
“(Donors) don’t have to worry,” Sandeep says. “Whatever we commit to, we’re doing.”

some of Pallikaranai’s enthusiastic students

What Sandeep and the other “Tablers” of MMRT 42 are committed to now is finishing the 18 classrooms at Pallikaranai. And they already are in the process of identifying what schools to help next.
He reminds me, “There is no dearth of need.”
If you’d like to learn more about how you can participate in the Rickshaw Challenge to benefit the classroom-building efforts of Madras Midtown Round Table 42, please contact Sandeep at sandeepmall@hotmail.com.

charity – Rickshaw Challenge