Kolkata, January 7, 2024: The vibrant youth division, FTS Yuva, under the umbrella of Friends of Tribals Society, orchestrated its celebrated annual event, the Ekal Run, at Godrej Waterside in Kolkata. More than 5000 enthusiastic participants engaged in various categories of timed runs – 21km, 10km, 5km, and a non-timed or fun run spanning 3km. A diverse array of individuals across all age groups eagerly joined in this marathon.
The inauguration of the Ekal Run was graced by Geeta Phogat, the renowned Wrestler, and witnessed the presence of esteemed personalities such as Neel Bhattacharya and Rahul Dev Bose, actors; Debadrita Basu, actress; Soumojeet Adak, director; A K Arya, DIG BSF; Surjeet Singh Guleria, Dy. Inspector General (G), HQ SDR (EC), BSF; CA. Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Vice President of ICAI, and various other dignitaries.
Addressing the media, Mr. Gaurav Bagla, President of FTS Yuva, Kolkata Chapter, expressed, “We are thrilled to have Geeta Phogat join us for the 5th Edition of Ekal Run. Running symbolizes life’s journey, where the effort you invest directly correlates with the outcome. This lends more significance to Ekal Run, especially as it aims to support the education of rural children, resonating deeply with the residents of the City of Joy. Participants received T-shirts, goodie bags, food boxes, and winners, as well as runners-up, were honored with medals and mementos.”
Key Members:
FTS Yuva Board Members – Anirudh Modi, Mentor; Niraj Harodia, National Coordinator; Gaurav Bagla, President; Rishabh Saraogi, Vice President; Vikash Poddar, Vice President; Abhay Kejriwal, Vice President; Vinay Chugh, Advisor; Raunak Fatesaria, Secretary; Rohit Bucha, Jt. Secretary; Rishav Gadia, Treasurer; Rachit Chowdhary, Jt. Treasurer; Mayank Saraogi, Head of Donation & Fundraising; Ankit Deewan, Head of Membership; Yogesh Choudhury, PRO; and Vaibhav Pandya & Manish Dhariwal, Board Members.
About FTS:
Friends of Tribals Society (FTS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to uplifting underprivileged rural children. FTS operates 49,203 One Teacher Schools, commonly known as “EKAL VIDYALAYA,” providing non-formal education to 15,19,721 children in the remotest villages of India. FTS emphasizes holistic child development and endeavors to uplift entire villages. Operating across 37 chapters in India, with Kolkata as its headquarters, FTS was honored with the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize in 2017, receiving the award from the former President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, and the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.