Ride with a purpose

The third UMEED 1,000 Cyclathon, which reached Hyderabad on Sunday, was an initiative to spread awareness and raise funds for the education of underprivileged girls. The team of cyclists led by Jasmeet Singh Gandhi covered 1,000 km over nine days from Panvel, Mumbai, where they started off on December 9.

The team of 12 banking professionals traversed many roads before reaching the city. The whole money thus raised will be donated to Udbhav School in Rasoolpura to provide quality, holistic education to underprivileged children. The school is managed by the IIMAA Alumni Association Hyderabad Chapter Charitable Trust.

UMEED 1000 was launched in 2014 with a 1,000 km-long Cyclathon from Mumbai to Bengaluru to support children suffering from eye cancer.  Cycling enthusiast Jasmeet who spearheaded the initiative is a regular participant. He has been in the technology product and marketing space for over two decades.

“It was a fascinating journey and being professionals, we took it up as a challenge to give back to society in a meaningful way rather than writing cheques. It was a noble way to raise money for the cause,” says Jasmeet.

“We all are employees of RBL bank from different branches across the country,” he further adds. “When you see the smile on their faces, all the efforts we have done gets some meaning. We had gone to a village in remote part of Telangana state, where the kids of the school at Aravalli performed for us. We learn that 35 girls could not continue their education due to bad road conditions and surrounding forest area. We decided to donate 35 cycles to them so that they could continue their education without any hassles,” shares Jasmeet.

“The journey from Mumbai to Hyderabad was motivating. Being colleagues first and then travelling partners changes the equation altogether as empathy comes into play,” signs off Suniel, another teammate and cycling partner.