(1888PressRelease)
September 10, 2009 - About 4,000 students, mostly National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, and teachers from 25 schools in and around Ambur, and members of Rotary Clubs participated in a walkathon in Ambur, near Vellore District, Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 5th September’09.
It was organised by the Rotary International District 3230 to create awareness of organ donation and road safety.
The NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, teachers and Rotarians walked along the two-km route from Hindu Higher Secondary School, Ambur, on Chennai-Bangalore National Highway, carrying placards highlighting the need to donate organs, the need for two-wheeler riders to wear helmets and the need to avoid using cell phones while driving vehicles or walking.
M. Abdul Basith, Vaniyambadi MLA, flagged off the walkathon at an inaugural function held in Hindu Higher Secondary School. W. Anand, District Governor, R.I. District 3230, emphasised the need for converting the organ donation awareness programme into a people’s movement.
This event spearheaded by Rtn. Dr. R. Sriram, District Chairman, Blood and Organ Donation, witnessed the participation of over 5000 students from 25 schools in the district. Frontier Lifeline supported this initiative by contributing 300 t-shirts and 5000 badges to promote organ donation awareness.
Heart recipient Mr. Esmath, who underwent a successful heart transplantation at Frontier Lifeline, spoke on the importance of Organ donation and shared his experiences.
Despite the Lok Sabha having passed the bill for organ donation in 1995 after the legislation of brain death, organ donation and retrieval still poses a challenge due to ignorance and lack of acceptance. The number of organs which can be made available for the benefit of countless others is a potentially achievable figure. But this can be accomplished only if there is a mass awakening among the greater public on the invaluable service this selfless act provides. Public awareness and acceptance of routine multi organ donations has to transcend religious beliefs, superstitions and multi –racial, multi-cultural differences.
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