Auto adventures for charity

Having started their journey on October 15 from Chennai, the teams are covering Puducherry, Thanjavur, Yercaud and Thirvannamalai before returning to the state capital on October 21.

Co-organised by Madras Midtown Rountable 42, the event will have participants engaging in a number of mini-races and challenges on a daily basis through which they will also get the opportunity to form a meaningful connection with the places they travel to. Apart from enjoying the natural beauty of the rural side, they will also get to taste the local cuisine and culture. In order to win this challenge, the participants will have to rely on the locals at each destination to guide them along. J Princely, the organiser of the event, said, “There are a total of 25 participants divided into 11 international teams from eight countries including, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Sweden, Russia and The Netherlands. 

Every year, we have similar activities, but with every new batch comes fresh enthusiasm and new experiences.” The event is also a fundraiser. “They will be raising funds for various projects of Round Table India under their flagship programme Freedom Through Education. Social responsibility is the very essence of this rally,” he added. The participants will also be visiting schools interacting with students.

This year, the Ambassador of Mexico to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, Melba Pría, inaugurated the Rickshaw Challenge-Tamil Nadu Run in the city. The Ambassador said she is a huge fan of the vehicle and in fact uses a customised auto-rickshaw as her official vehicle, plying the corridors of power and diplomacy in New Delhi. “When I came to India I was looking for a vehicle that would be well suited to the realities of traffic-ridden country. In addition, I wanted to create awareness on air pollution and highlight the message that we can collectively take action against this problem,” she added.