Shaurya – A feat of Courage!
It was beautiful. I know a sports event is more aptly described by words such as rough and competitive but I would still say, it was beautiful;
says Gowri Rajendran, trustee Friends Society.
Beauty is what happens when 60 volunteers come together to create a sports events for nearly 600 differently-abled children. Last Sunday (16th December), an All Vadodara Special Children Sports meet was organised by Friend’s Society, one of the oldest NGOs in the city. The event is aptly called “Shaurya – a feat of courage” displaying the courage of children, their parents, teachers and the spirit of volunteers who have run this event every year for the last 21 years!
This year 558 special children from 23 schools across Vadodara participated in Shaurya. Ranging between 7 years to 18 years of age, these children showed that they came prepared! Be it shot put; 100mt race; hurdle race or a ball throw race, the special children proved their mettle. We bring you a glimpse into the event through this photo journey.
The event started with the lighting of the torch. Special children and volunteers then passed the torch together across the perimeter of the ground.
This year, Shaurya had 96 games across different categories based on the physical and mental capabilities of the special children.
If you thought you were fast…
They were at the finish line before we could even click!
I came, I played, I won! Everybody was a winner…
The event was over in 5 hours but the girls and boys behind it were far from done. After the event, the volunteers cleaned up the entire ground, leaving it exactly the way it was given to them but not without some fun before! 🙂
Viral Patel has volunteered for Shaurya for the last 5 years. He says volunteering helps him connect with other people and improve himself. “I met many good people while volunteering for Shaurya and some of them became my best friends later on..”
Viraj, who has volunteered since the 6 years, says he can never be more thankful as Shaurya gave him his first job when one of the sponsors took notice of him!
Have you been part of a volunteer-led and volunteer-driven event? We would love to know about your experience!