Hitting Calgary’s riverside pathways for a run on Thursday isn’t easy, as heavy smoke from B.C. wildfires continues to bring very poor air quality to southern Alberta.
But for the RANA (Rajasthan Association of North America) youth group, it’s worth it, as members set out to run for a very good reason.
“We’re raising money for brain health,” run organizer Arijit Lodha said.
It’s something that’s close to home for Lodha, who began having epileptic seizures when he was five.
“He was scared, we were scared,” Lodha’s mother Nidhi said.
But two years of treatment in the brain health unit at the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) made a big difference, which was part of Lodha’s motivation for organizing the fundraising run.
He’s part of the RANA youth group, made up mostly of teens whose families come from the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Members are now training for their fourth annual RANA Diversity Run, which starts at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19 at Calgary’s Edworthy Park.
More information is available on the group’s website here.
“We want to invite everyone to come, not only from the Rajasthani community, but also from Calgary,” Lodha said, “so then there’s that communication from varying perspectives.”
Last year’s run raised $20,000 for the ACH brain unit.
Organizers are hoping to raise $25,000 with Sunday’s event.
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