Blue Planet Run hits Northern California

Milpitas, California:  The Blue Planet Run 2007 made a stop in the West coast of Northern America on Tuesday August 2^nd.  With a start at the port city of San Francisco, the team relay run, highlighting global issues related to water scarcity and availability  wound its way Southward, to reach cities of Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose on its way to Los Angeles in Southern California and onwards.<>As Girish Shah, President of JCNC, and Bipin Shah, Nilesh Doshi, Heena Nandu, officials at the Jain Center of Northern California (JCNC) announced,  “ Jains believe that Water is Life”, the audience of about 200 people at the felicitation ceremony for the Blue Planet Run 2007 broke into applause. Further, officials of the JCNC announced a donation of $2000 towards supporting the run at the colorful ceremony arranged to honor the Blue Planet Run 2007 and facilitate a baton exchange at the JCNC in Milpitas.

The Blue Planet Run is across the globe by a team of 20 runners, running in  a relay race of 10 to 15 miles at a time, set to circumambulate the globe, spanning 13 countries in 95 days, totaling 15,200 miles. With an important message, we can and must begin today to alleviate the catastrophic burden placed on over a billion people who, every day, must drink unsafe local water, or travel long distances on foot to search for safe water for themselves and their families. “

Committed runners include the lone representative from India Sunila Jayaraj of Kolar, Karnataka, Laura Furtado of Brazil, Jason Loutitt of Canada, Dot Helling, of Montpelier, VT, Bostonian Simon Isaacs who now lives in Rwanda, Africa. These athletes run in quartets for separate legs to engage the community across the world for an issue which is basic to survival but scarcity and access to safe drinking water remains a major impediment in most nations, especially in the developing world,

<>Starting in New York City on June 1, 2007, the athletes run around the clock along a route that includes the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan and Canada. The Blue Planet Run will end back in New York City, on September 4, 2007. 

The Mayor of  Milpitas Jose Esteves, the Mayor of Fremont Bob Wasserman and Councilmember Anu Natarajan were on hand to felicitate the runners and issue an proclamation congratulating both the runners, the Blue Planet Run organization and the Jain Center of Northern California for their committed participation, folllwing Inter faith services in Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Christian and Ecumenical services

Jayesh Shah of Oakland, an organizer for the Blue Planet Run reiterated the commitment of the organization to support grass roots projects with an aim to increase the awareness of the participants. ” Shah highlighted a project in West Bengal
called  “Arsenic Safe Drinking Water: Habra” with local Ngo partner  Project Well. The amount funded was $4,000 with people impacted about 400 people- such ae typical projects funded, with an view to engaging local NGOS and a commitment from the indigenous population as well.

About the Run, Shah said, “The idea was to create an event that would capture the excitement of people from all walks of life worldwide. 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, roughly one-sixth of the world's population. 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die every year from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. In the past 10 years, diarrhea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed “conflicts” since World War II.

Sunila Jayraj, who has already completed his stint of running and raised almost $100,000 via pledges for his running is also an committed activist especially as he was raised in drought prone Kolar in Karnataka. A PhD candidate in Environmental fluid mechanics (flood-related issues in developing countries) at Eastern Michigan University , he also raises funds for projects through the

through the Ganga Kaveri Bhagirathi Trust based in Lansing, Michigan. Jayaraj is also a founding member of CIRD (Centre for Integrated Rural Development) in Kolar.

  <>As each of the runners and crew members repeated the mantra, “We are running o raise awareness of Water related issues”, Ms Furtad received the official baton in exchange from Jason Loutitt, and bid adieu to the gathered crowd for her next relay session, accompanied by at least dozen men , women and children from the JCNC all caught up in the moment of helping the cause of water.