THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 12-year-old Adarsh is on cloud nine. On Thursday evening he received his dream gift- a cycle. A seventh standard student of St Thomas HSS, Mukkolakkal, Adarsh S M became a role model for children of his age by donating the money he had been saving up to buy a cycle to the Kerala Vaccine Challenge. That was on Tuesday. And on Thursday evening, Adarsh received a call from the city’s Bicycle Mayor Prakash P Gopinath asking if he was home.
“I was shocked when they told me that they were bringing me a cycle,” says an exci ted Adarsh. V K Prasanth, MLA, gave away the Rodeo A 75 model cycle which was gifted by the city-based cycling club Indus Cycling Embassy. “He has done a noble deed by donating the money he had saved up to buy the cycle to such a cause. So we thought of gifting him a cycle,” says Prakash.
The cycle which costs Rs 16,000 was bought using the contribution of the members of the cycling club. “The fund mobilisation began on Wednesday evening with the members pitching in. We got him a gear cycle,” says Prakash. Adarsh donated an amount of Rs 5,200 to the Vaccine Challenge. After he donated his first cycle to the Recycle Kerala Challenge in 2020, Adarsh had been saving up money to buy a new cycle by September. That’s when he saw people contributing for the Vaccine Challenge and he got motivated to pitch in too.
“It was the money I saved from the Vishukaineettams and pocket money my grandparents gave me. But I knew I had to do my bit and that’s why I donated the money. I never expected that I will get a cycle. I can’t express my joy,” says Adarsh, who still can’t believe that he now owns a cycle. Ever since Adarsh donated his cycle, he has been using his brother Aravind’s cycle.
“Having my own cycle is a dream come true. I can’t wait to go on rides in this. Cycling is an adventure in itself. It’s eco-friendly and is a good exercise as well. But mostly, it is the adventure that a cycle brings that makes cycle my favourite ride,” says Adarsh.