giving back to the community
As the number of members grew, the founders decided there was more they could do to help the Indian community and beyond.
Ramesh said, “The fact that we were able to get so many in such a short amount of time…we sat down and decided we might be able to do a little more.
For example, in May the group held a running event to raise funds for the Singapore Indian Education Trust, which helps Indian students in Singapore from low-income families.
A team of 10 runners in this group ran at 1 mph over 26 hours and collected S$30,000.
They tried their luck and contacted Mr. Shanmugam. To Shanmugam’s surprise, he agreed to run the mile with him.
Ultimately, the group was able to exceed their goal by 3x, raising a total of around S$90,000.
“I don’t think anyone thought we would reach S$90,000, but[the fundraiser]is really about simple hobbies like running and what a simple group like this can actually do. ,” Eswara said.
In June, the group also worked with the Indian community self-help group Singapore Indian Development Council (Sinda) to mentor youth and introduce them to sports.
Members of the Thaarumaaru Runners teamed up with about 40 underprivileged students between the ages of 13 and 18 to run sprints and chat with each other.
“This was a very fulfilling experience for the students, but it was also a very fulfilling experience for our volunteers who participated,” said Ramesh.
He added that about five to six students continue to regularly participate in running groups, even for weekend runs.
Ramesh added that after a weekend of running, the group sometimes works with grassroots organizations to distribute grocery packages to disadvantaged families.
everyone is welcome
Towards the end of the run, the number of runners dwindled and we started to pace ourselves. I spent most of the second half of the route chatting with Mikro Ramesh, a migrant worker.
He told me that joining the group sparked his passion for running. He also told me that when he works as a truck driver carrying other construction workers, he sometimes makes short runs in different parts of the island between shifts. .
“Singapore’s Park Connector is very good for running,” he said.
Towards the last few kilometers, we were cheering each other on as the sun rose high in the sky and temperatures rose.
When I finished my run, I banged my fists on each other before crouching down in exhaustion.
Other runners poured in quickly, high-fiving each other, chatting and taking selfies.
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