A contingent of school children on roller blades, officials from the Indian Navy and working professionals holding energy drinks participated in the second edition of the Terry Fox run organised at the IIT Madras Stadium on Sunday.
NCC volunteers marched with awareness placards while people on bicycles and an ambulance assisted the runners with necessary medical help. More than 3,000 persons participated in the event that is conducted all over the world in memory of the Canadian athlete and cancer activist Terry Fox. The run is aimed to raise donations for cancer research.
Chennai’s version of the run was initiated by Akash Dube, an 18-year-old student diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia). Akash, who is pursuing his research at IIT Madras on the growth of cancer cells, said that the run is an attempt to create awareness in the community on the need for investing in basic research in finding cure for the disease.
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"People expect faster results, hence any kind of long-term research focussed on lasting solutions is discouraged," he said, adding that support from institutions and the community will help the best results to surface soon in the field of medical research.
Director-General of Police Letika Saran and U.S. Consul General in Chennai Andrew T.Simkin flagged off the event at 8 a.m. Actor Vikram was present at the venue to boost the morale of the participants.
Urging the society to extend support to the cause of funding cancer research, Terry Fox Run Chairman from Rotary Club (Madras East) N. Badrinarayanan said that fighting cancer was not the responsibility of the victims alone.
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"All of us need to put a check on the growing urban lifestyle, and ensure that the dangers of unhealthy living are not passed on to future generations," he added.
Route maps were provided to the participants and as many as eighty volunteers spread across the campus assisted the participants in the 6.4 km run. The money raised will be donated to the TATA Memorial Centre for fundamental research into cancer.