Vintage car rally to raise awareness about glaucoma

Bengaluru: A vintage car and bike rally will be held to raise awareness about glaucoma. The rally, organised by Bothra Foundation, will be flagged off today, the first day of World Glaucoma Week (March 10-16).

“This is an exciting way to raise awareness about this health condition,” said K A Cariappa, one of the organisers. 

The event will begin with a flag-off ceremony at Bowring Institute on St Marks Road at 9 am. The route will cover popular Bengaluru landmarks such as Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, the High Court, M G Road and Lavelle Road before returning to Bowring. 

The Foundation, which offers free healthcare to underserved communities, has partnered with the Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club to bring together a total of 40 cars and 23 two-wheelers, said C P Bothra, managing trustee. Some of the oldest cars that are participating include a 1917 Ford Model T and a 1931 Ford Model A. A 1944 Paratrooper, a 1946 Royal Enfield and a 1961 Lambretta are some of the bikes that will be part of the event. 

About 1.2 million people in India suffer from glaucoma-induced blindness. The eye disease, caused by abnormally high blood pressure in the eye, damages the optic nerve that conveys visual information to the brain. As there are no warning signs, over 90% of cases go undiagnosed in the country. The condition has no cure once the blindness sets in but irreversible vision loss can be avoided if detected and treated early.