THE killer extremes of the Gobi Desert may take out some of the 62 competitors of Gobi March 2008.But no matter whether they make it to the finish line or not, many of these competitors would have done themselves and their favourite charities a world of good .
For many of the participants, fundraising for a noble cause is the greatest motivating factor for competing in the gruelling seven-day 250km footrace across the desert.
Austin Samuel Aho from the United States, for instance, is running in support of Operation Smile Cambodia, an international children's medical charity which carries out missions in developing countries to repair childhood deformities such as cleft palate and lip.
Aho, 24, was touched by what he saw during a recent trip to Cambodia and decided to do something about it.
"Kids who don't undergo this operation become outcasts for life. I could see it in the faces of the older kids.
"It's a simple hour-long procedure which costs US$40 (RM130). But families in these countries can't afford it."
A first-time competitor in the 4 Deserts series, Aho, an investment banker, has raised US$6,000 which is enough to pay for 150 operations.
Nicholas Wickes, 30, Lia Farley, and Piera Damonte, 38, meanwhile, are doing their bit for Good For Kids, an organisation which gives out camp and coaching scholarships to poor children in San Francisco.
"We want to raise as much as we can for the organisation. It is important for us to be here not only to raise funds but also to inspire the kids," said Wickes, who is Good For Kids executive director.
Organiser of the 4 Deserts, RacingThePlanet, will also hold its own fundraising auction in support of victims of the earthquake which devastated Sichuan province last month.
The other three legs of the 4 Deserts are taking place in Atacama (Chile), Sahara (Egypt) and the Antarctica.
RacingThePlanet is auctioning off hot showers to the three highest bidders. Each winning bidder will get to select a Gobi March competitor who will be whisked away from the campsite on donkey cart for an hour-long hot shower at the end of Stage 4.
"It was a last-minute inclusion but it's fun and we're doing it for a good cause," said RacingThePlanet founder and chief executive officer Mary Gadams.
The highest bid so far is US$2,130, followed by two bids at US$1,000 each. Money raised will go to Oxfam and Save the Children, which will channel it to earthquake victims.
Bids can be made online via the website www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/ until today.
RacingThePlanet is also selling frisbees at US$25 each. The frisbees will be distributed to children in villages along the course.
"We've raised US$15,000 so far from the sale of frisbees. It's a great thing to be able to raise funds and also give the frisbees to the children, most of whom have never even seen one," Gadams said.
The organiser has also donated books to a school in the Tiznap Valley.
The New Straits Times will be following the Gobi March. For updates, visit www.nst.com.my.
Link: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/2264370/Article
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