JOIN USHundreds of people took part in ‘Strides for Autism,’ a 5K marathon aimed at creating awareness on autism, the developmental disorder, at Kanteerava indoor stadium on Sunday.
Organised jointly by Assisted Living for Autistic Adults (ALFAA), Get Going, Shriram Properties and others, the event was a fund-raiser for a residential rehabilitation centre for adults with intellectual developmental disorders, launched recently by ALFAA and Anugraha Trust.
Ruby Singh, director of ALFAA and mother of an autistic child, pointed out that autism did not have any legal recognition as a disability, making it difficult to get funds and essential services for those who live with it. “The marathon was an effort to overcome the problem and raise money for the centre,” she explained.
Reeth Abraham, a city-based athlete and a former South Asian Games champion, flagged off the run. Though a separate 1K run was organised for autistic children, two of them took part and finished the 5K run.
Brigadier Jagadish Chandran, commandant of CMP Centre and School, also participated.
The proceeds of the marathon, which had 800 registrations, will be used to improve the residential centre with facilities such as a sensory gymnasium and a hydro-therapeutic swimming pool.