by Sachin Murdeshwar
Mumbai: The Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) brings people together in more ways than one and when it comes to philanthropy, there is no event like it.
TMM 2020 has raised over Rs. 33 crores and counting, for 291 NGOs, making it the biggest philanthropic sporting platform in Asia. This year, TMM has over 14,000 running to support a cause. The previous year’s charity collections record of INR 40.7 crores is now within touching distance.
United Way Mumbai (UWM), the Philanthropy Partner to the event, enables NGOs to raise funds for their projects through the event. UWM maintains a cause neutral, level-playing field for all participating NGOs and provides a functional platform to several corporates and individual fundraisers to support these NGOs.
From a cumulative total of Rs 1.4 crores through just 12 NGOs in the inaugural edition of the event, philanthropy at the event has made great strides. Promoted by Procam International, the Tata Mumbai marathon has embedded philanthropy as a founding pillar of the event. Over the years, the fundraising platform has earned the distinction of being the single largest philanthropic sporting event in Asia.
In this journey, there have been some extraordinary individuals who have raised phenomenal amounts; in 2017, Mihir Doshi was the first person to break the Rs. one crore barrier, and in 2018, Sankara Raman broke his own record to become the highest fundraiser. In the 2019 edition, six individuals including Sankara Raman, broke the Rs. one crore mark and V S Parthasarathy became the highest fundraiser in the history of the event. This year V S Parthasarathy has already raised over Rs. 1.4 crores, crossing his last year’s tally and becoming the highest fundraiser at the event.
Jayanti Shukla, CEO, United Way Mumbai said, “As someone who has the opportunity to witness how fundraisers run their campaigns, what truly amazes me is the power of the event to bring so many people onto a common ground. While each campaign always has a distinct approach, success only emanates when they unite people, in support of their campaign.”
She added, “At United Way Mumbai we believe that in order to successfully overcome the challenges that we need to address in our communities, stakeholders need to come together and combine their strengths to affect real and lasting change. The Tata Mumbai Marathon is an excellent example of the work we do and the impact that we make in the development sector.”
On this occasion, Vivek Singh, Joint MD, Procam International said, “One of the most important aspects of the Tata Mumbai Marathon has been the immense positive response from all sections of society to the event’s unique charity platform. The amount raised and the fundraisers have created new records every year, and the 2020 edition is no exception. We are extremely proud of our incredible journey with our philanthropy partners, United Way Mumbai, who have enabled the event to contribute in multiple ways to help society #BeBetter. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to every individual who has worked towards this betterment and celebrate their commitment!”