When 71-year-old George R Thomas, a Malayali expatriate who teaches mathematics in the U.S. and China straps the lace of his running shoes on November 7 to embark on a gruelling marathon, he will be doing it to mobilise funds for the post- flood reconstruction of his home State.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will flag off the month-long solo run on Wednesday morning.
“I can be taken out of Kerala but Kerala cannot be taken out of me. The objective behind my solo run across the length of the State is to remind the expatriates who have not yet contributed to the rebuilding of Kerala after the devastating flood. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder in these difficult times,” said the mathematician who has mentored students for over 25 years.
On his part, Dr. Thomas is donating 20 cents of prime land at Kadampanad for a library, Anganvadi, children’s play area and car parking.
During his trans-State half marathon (21.0975 km) being organised for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), the septuagenarian will also take classes in mathematics for students in various schools and colleges. The daily half marathon will end at the Kerala-Karnataka border on December 6.
‘Noble gesture’
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said it was a noble gesture on the part of Dr.Thomas.
“I do hope it will strike a right chord among the Malayali expatriates and encourage them to contribute to the State government’s efforts to rebuild Kerala,” he said in a pressnote.
Wide publicity
The Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) is associating with the event to give it wide publicity.
Earlier in 2008, Dr. Thomas had run from Kanyakumari to Sree Mookambika temple at Kollur in Udupi district of Karnataka to create awareness about the pernicious impact of the burning of plastic wastes in debris.
