"Auto-rickshaw challenge" by Singapore based activists for a cause

"Auto-rickshaw challenge" by Singapore based activists for a cause

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 07, 2014:  A Singapore group of 20  made up of various nationalities, have taken up the six-day Auto-Rickshaw challenge to raise funds for a worthy cause that has children and education as its core goals. The challenge involves driving nine tuk tuk’s (Auto’s) from Chennai to Goa covering 941 km.

The team was interacting with media,  at an orphanage  when it’s leader Derek Venn of UK, settled in Singapore and a banker by profession said so far they have collected close of Singapore $75,000 (Rs 35 lakh) through online donations for Round Table of India - MMRT 42 through GIVE, a non-profit organisation.  Its unique way that would push  to the limits and at the same time be fun and rewarding adds Venn, whose ’tuk tuk’ theme is based on 007 himself. ’Shaken not stirred’ declares a board behind his auto with a rocket launcher atop the vehicle.

The challenge cost each member Euro 1,300 inclusive of hiring auto’s, boarding and lodging. The team left Chennai on November 1 and covered Vellore, Bengaluru, Mysuru  reaching  Mangaluru on  November 6, Thursday. Their first assignment after breakfast was to visit "Samvedana" orphanage at Maroli where the children had a gala time with members apart from pumping the horn.

Adam Reynolds, banker, who has come on this challenge along with son Daniel, 25, a lawyer, says: This is the first ’tuk tuk’ drive for all of us. We have never handled one before but our experience with two-wheeler is handy. We had a trial run in narrow lanes of Chennai for a day which made us perfect.

The team will rest at Murudeshwar on  Nov 6, Thursday and reach Goa on Nov 7, Friday. After a day’s chilling out, they will head back to Singapore where they will resume their professions from which they have taken a week’s break.

"It’s really encouraging for us to receive  good donations so far. We are glad to  do this for a worthy cause,"  Venn says.