The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Chetan Anand happy to champion the cause of ailing children

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Sunday, Jun 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Chetan Anand happy to champion the cause of ailing children

V.V. Subrahmanyam

Joins SACH to raise funds through Fun Olympaid

Entry fee for the Olympiad is
Rs. 75,000
‘Amount to be used for heart surgeries on two patients’

- PTI Photo

Helping hand: Badminton player Chetan Anand with children suffering from cardiac ailments during a function on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: It is Olympics time and this Fun Olympiad comes with a big difference too. For all those children suffering from heart ailments, it should be ‘Chetan’ (inspiration) and ‘Anand’ (happiness) by all means. For, the elegant shuttler, Chetan Anand, has decided to lend a helping hand by joining hands with Save A Child’s Heart Foundation (SACH), said to be the biggest charity organisation dealing exclusively with children suffering from congenital heart diseases.

And, when his handsome shuttler entered the ‘inflated’ boxing ring to engage himself in a duel with the organisers as part of the promotion campaign to raise funds through the SACH Fun Olympiad on Saturday, this 28-year-old national champion send a loud and clear message for a different cause.

Chetan demonstrates

For someone who was reluctant to don the ‘boxing gloves’ to avoid an ugly controversy even when cornered by the BAI officials when he was chasing the Olympic dream only recently, Chetan gave a demonstration in the ‘boxing ring’ of what this Olympiad means. “It is great to be associated with SACH which is engaged in such a noble cause,” was his take.

Sangeetha Reddy, Executive Director of Apollo Hospitals, said that the entry fee for the Olympiad to be held in the city from June 24 to 26 and then in other four southern cities, would be Rs. 75,000, as this amount would take care off heart surgeries on two patients.

“We are here to reach out to the community and we are really pleased with the wonderful response from Hyderabadis, in particular, and public in general across the country,” she said. “It is heartening that people come to us with donations from Rs. 5,000 to huge amounts to commemorate their birthdays or some important functions at home,” she pointed out. “We are grateful to the Indian Army and to the State government for their wonderful support.” Brig. R. K. Sharma, Brigadier, 54th Artillery Brigade, said that the Army would provide the manpower for the entire show.

Dr. Hari Prasad, CEO of Apollo Hospitals, said that the whole concept was not only interactive but entertaining too for the corporate groups. “We have already screened about 20,000 children in the State in 20 districts and plan to do many more. Our ultimate aim is to see that no child suffers for want of financial support in getting treatment for heart ailments,” he explained.

Clearly, SACH is exploring new frontiers to raise funds for a noble cause.

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