Septuagenarian's run to rebuild Kerala

Kozhikode: Septuagenarian expatriate Dr. George R. Thomas is a mathematician who teaches in the USA and China universities. But he is now running for a noble cause-rebuilding Kerala after the devastating floods. Dr Thomas, 71, who hails from Pathanamthitta, has already completed 18 consecutive days of his solo run, starting from Cliff House, Thiruvananthapuram, on November 7 and reaching Kozhikode on November 23. He resumed his run at Thondayad junction  6.15 a.m. on Saturday and will end the mission at Kasaragod on December 6.

"I was in China when the floods struck Kerala and I was set to move back to the USA. But I could not simply leave after what happened to Kerala. I can be taken away from Kerala but Kerala cannot be taken from me. I started the run to exhort the Malayali diaspora to donate liberally to rebuild the flood-battered Kerala," said Dr. Thomas, who is also chairman of 'Ecorun India.'

He has already donated 20 cents of land for a library. During his trans-state half marathon(22 km) being organized for the chief minister's distress relief fund (CMDRF), he will also take classes for students in various schools and colleges as part of the effort to lift the level of mathematics in Kerala. He tries to convey the attitude, "Desire the welfare of others."

Dr. Thomas had run from Kanyakumari to Sree Mookambika Temple at Kollur in 2008 to create awareness about the harm caused by the burning of plastic wastes. He thus became the first person to run the entire length of Kerala. He has also published a book 'Against Din and Danger' chronicling the experiences of his first run.

The donations to CMDRF should be made directly at http://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in/.