{mosimage} Friends of Max once again got together at Mumbai’s Marine Drive to participate in this year’s Terry Fox Run. Sunday mornings in February/March dawn golden and cool and this one was no different. The sea a placid porcelain reflecting the still icy blue of the western sky while the eagerly rising sun sent splinters of golden rays bouncing off the many glinting windows on Mumbai’s Manhattan-ish skyline . The shining faces of the hundreds of school children rivaled the sun’s rays for sure as did the bright eyes of the little ones from Tata Hospital .Thank You Gul Kripalani and your co committee members for giving the Mumbaikars a chance to join in Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope every year.
“He ran, so others may Live” said the huge bill board outside the Air India Building and as we all gathered in the traffic island below that very hoarding (the designated FOM meeting place every year) each one of us could feel the generosity of spirit and courage of convictions that must have spurred Terry on his great Marathon of Hope across Canada. We will also run , we said to ourselves and to the beautiful morning ; we will run so others may live, so all those young ones who were proudly sporting their bandages and crutches as though they were designer sports wear , today and in the future , could live and benefit from the research the Terry Fox Run was raising funds for.
We were a motley crew but once collected, volunteered to keep the coast clear for the surging children once the run was flagged off and to keep the patient contingent from the hospitals safe from the initial rush of many hundreds of pairs of feet pounding the Drive’s newly tiled walkway.
The little ones from the hospitals had a surprise in store for them when they were led into two vintage cars that would take them alongside the run ; each with a FOM minder to take care of them till they were brought to the Finish Line . Thank you Sabira Merchant and Mr Kapadia for this treat for the young ones !!
Soon the Run had begun and Marine Drive had seas on both sides – the sea of humanity full of energy and tumultuous unlike the calm Arabian sea on the other side !
Once the Run was completed it was felicitation time at the Brabourne Stadium where all the school children who ran and raised funds were cheered and acknowledged , their teachers and parents thanked for encouraging them to take part in the Run. It was time for the little ones and their care givers to sit and rest awhile, have refreshments and wait with bated breath to see who this year’s special guest was to be .
Soon the suspense ended when John Abraham appeared as if from no where and spent time with each and every one – FOM were not too far behind in making John’s acquaintance too . In fact he was very happy to know about FOM and delighted to accept and there and then don our trademark black volunteer tee shirt and pose for pictures
The chief guest was the Sheriff of Mumbai – Mrs Indu Shahani who is already a very special person in our lives for besides having been Ayeshah’s ( and many others’) Principal (HR College) she is also the gracious and lovely wife of Mr Ranjit Shahani . An old friend of Friends of Max !!
She charmed everyone with her gracious but gritty call to rise as one and fight misconceptions and spread awareness . She finished with an ode to Mumbai which could be roughly translated into
As the rising sun drives away darkness and dispels gloom
Coming to Mumbai drives away Cancer associated blues
It was a morning well spent and Pinakin has captured some of the fun moments in his own style –see the pictures on our own pg 3