THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For 71-year-old George R Thomas, age is just a number. The septuagenarian, an expatriate, is all set to participate in a 21-km solo run from Wednesday across the length of the state to exhort other expatriates to unite for rebuilding Kerala.
“I can be taken out of Kerala, but Kerala cannot be taken out of me. My objective behind the solo run is to remind the expatriates, who are yet to help in rebuilding the state after the devastating floods, that we need to stand shoulder to shoulder during these difficult times,” said Thomas, who is also a mathematician.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will flag off the half-marathon at 8.30 am at his official residence in Cliff House, Thiruvananthapuram. The run will end at the Kerala-Karnataka border on December 6. During his trans-state half-marathon (21.0975 km) being organised for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), Thomas will also take classes for students in various schools and colleges, in a Socratic tradition, in a bid to lift the level of mathematics in Kerala.
That’s not all. Thomas will also donate his 20 cents of land at Kadampanad for a library, an anganwadi, a children’s play area and car parking.The Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society, under the aegis of the Tourism Department, is associating with the half-marathon to give it wide publicity.M/s Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd is also partnering with the event.
In 2008, Thomas had run from Kanyakumari to Sree Mookambika temple at Kollur in Udupi district of Karnataka to create awareness on the harmful impact of burning plastic waste in debris. In doing so, Thomas became the first person to run the entire length of Kerala.Donations can be made directly at: https://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in/
Extremely noble gesture, says min
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said it was an extremely noble gesture on Thomas’ part. “Keralites are known for their kindred spirit whether they are in India or abroad. The half-marathon is inspired by a charitable objective. I do hope it will strike a right chord among Malayali expatriates to join in the massive efforts of the state government to rebuild Kerala,” Kadakampally said.