article
Walk for a Cause
DK India raises funds for flood relief efforts with a charity walk. The walk also served to encourage employees to be physically active.
Over the past month, much of north India, including Delhi, has been devastated by floods and landslides, leading to large-scale loss of life and property. With a contribution made for every person who signed up for the walk, DK India was able to raise ₹ 60,000 towards flood relief efforts. The growing awareness that climate change and unplanned urbanization are at the root of such increasingly erratic weather patterns has made Delhi’s surviving green spaces, like Nehru Park, more important than ever.
It was with this in mind that we rose eagerly on a Sunday morning, donned our bright-red specially-made DK T-shirts and came together, step by step, for an important cause.
The walk itself served another purpose as well – to rouse us out of the sedentary lifestyle that a desk job can often lead to and motivate us to be physically active in a healthy and sustainable manner. Liza Powell, a crew member at the Adidas Runners Community in Delhi, was our trainer for the day; she guided us patiently throughout, all the while offering encouragement and sharing helpful tips.
We began with a few warm-up exercises. With stretches that seemed to reach for the sky and exercises that had us all giggling, everyone was immediately at ease. While some of us dashed out after this to sprint around the track, the rest of us followed close behind, maintaining a brisk pace – a few of us even stealthily cut across the park in a sneaky attempt to avoid the exercise! Post the walk, we cooled down and began a lively team activity that brought out a competitive streak in all of us. Laughter echoed as we engaged in friendly rivalry and then sat down to picnic together with some healthy snacks that were distributed.
The day ended with joyous group photographs being taken as all of us revelled in a shared spirit of camaraderie. While our primary goal had been to contribute to the flood relief efforts, by the end of the walk we had also taken steps towards a healthier lifestyle and bonded with our colleagues!
Nandini Desiraju | Assistant Editor, Travel