FROM THE WESTIN GURGAON, NEW DELHI

FANTASTIC RUN..FUNDRAISING RUN..FUN FILLED RUN

Time is 5.55am. Laxmikant Sharma (31), Team leader, Westin Workout, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi consulted his watch only to ensure that they were on time at Aravalli Biodiversity Park, near Guru Dronacharya Metro Station. Spa Manager Jagpreet Kaur browsed thru the to-do list mentally; Hairdresser Matin Khan was visualizing about the floor mapping while, floor marking was in Fitness Trainer Sonu's main agenda, Amit, Team leader, Westin Workout was more bothered about the placement of the Security cones…the Westin Gurgaon organizing team for the charity run was already on the job co-coordinating the last minute loose ends.....

It has been a Sunday. The Sun God was yet to show his face…birds have been still chirping… the dry leaves fallen from the trees were very energized ...they were running here and there...but the cool breeze wafted thru the park was not to know that the Westin Gurgaon partnering IIMPACT is to flag off the fund raising three km charity run in an hour’s time.

Finally at 7.10am the charity run was flagged off by Sanjay Sharma, the Area General Manager, Starwood Group of Hotels.(Oct 12, 2014). Around 200 Westin Gurgaon family members participated in this fun filled run. The runners were clad in either in the parrot green T shirt or the blue one. They were flagged off in two batches to avoid overcrowding on the tracks, in 45 minutes everybody had finished the three km run. This run has been initiated by Starwood Asia Pacific Team and the objective has been to raise the awareness on the CSR initiatives.

IIMPACT, a registered society that has chosen to focus on the education of the girl children from the socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the society. Established in 2003, by the IIM AHMEBABAD Alumni batch of 1978, IIMPACT educates 38,000 girls in 1000 villages in ten states in India. Importantly, all the donor funds go towards educating girls. Amazingly, all the money collected from the Westin Gurgaon family members will go for a very good cause.

"After the run we had a cool down session" says Laxmikant Sharma, the Team leader, Westin workout, "basically light stretching and light breathing exercises in standing position. This has been orchestrated immediately after the run to avoid the stiffness of the body".

After the run, refreshments were offered. Laxmikant and his team wrapped up and left joyously. Back to the hotel. With full contentment of having participated in a good cause. Togetherness energized them further.

Yesterday, in the evening when I finished interviewing Laxmikant time was 4 pm. Interview happened in my room at the seventh floor, in Westin Gurgaon, where I have been staying for the last three days, in connection with my lecture engagements. 4 pm-That was my time to check out from this hotel. I thanked Laxmikant for sharing the dope on the charity run.

Incidentally Laxmikant happens to be an avid reader of my blogs. Of the eighty plus blogs, twenty blogs   are on Westin Gurgaon/Westin Sohna. May God bless Laxmikant in abundance for his contributions for this run.

No doubt, the real joy is in Giving, not in Receiving.

By R KESAVA MALLIA in Gurgaon