London, Oct 24, 2004
PTI
A London-based NRI will undertake a 4,000-km walk from Amritsar to
Kanyakumari next month to raise an estimated one million pounds for
Cancer and AIDS research in the UK.
India Association Chairman, Balwant Singh Grewal, would commence the
walk from the Golden Temple on November 16. The walk would last about
five months.
This was announced by Grewal at the Association's annual Diwali Dinner
and Dance and launch of the Great Charity Walk at the Crown Conference
Centre here last night.
At the annual Dinner, the Association raised about 100,000 pounds through
donations and raffle draw.
"The aim of the Great Charity Walk is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS
and Cancer. The bulk of the money raised during this walk will fund
organizations which are trying to find preventive measures and cure
and for HIV/AIDS and Cancer research," Grewal said.
According to Dr Keval Singh, a cancer specialist, cancer is a major
public health problem in the UK with over 250,000 people developing
cancer each year and over 150,000 dying of the disease.
A spokesperson of the Cancer Research Institute, UK, said at the end
of 2003, an estimated three million people died of AIDS related diseases
with a staggering 7.5 million people dying of cancer worldwide.