Sponsor Raj's "Run for a dream" - a dream to make a difference

Dear Friends,

I am happy to share with you that I did cross the finish line yesterday at the NYC Marathon. I took 19,887 seconds (okay, okay that is 5:31:27 Hrs - was just trying to avoid to tell you how long I really took)…and no, I was not the last one to cross the finish line…there were 4,209 people behind me.

Running a marathon is never easy, especially for me this time due to crazy work schedule (third job in one year), growing work with Lend-A-Hand India, organizing our annual fund raiser last Friday resulting in lack of adequate training and to top it all, I was sick during two weeks leading to the marathon…hence instead of receiving my email before the marathon to sponsor me, here I am writing to you my story about how I finished and appeal for your support! I know that all of you now a days receive almost an email a day about a walk or run and all are equally worthy cause so I respect your choice and thank you for support (monetary or otherwise) regardless!

I had the best marathon weather one can ever ask for…so I was thinking; now I can not really blame it on the weather if I don't finish - just kidding! At that starting line, when you are standing amongst 38,000 runners, who have trained for months and months, thru rain or shine, for various causes and reasons, to raise funds for a charity, to recover from a breakup or find someone special or just to get fit ~ one really feels that one can achieve anything in life ! All my apprehension whether I would finish or not, disappeared as I stood among those thousands of runners. The air was magical with mind (and body) was just ready to take off! The display of the colorful fountains in the New York Bay, seen from the magnificent Verrazano bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn added to the excitement.

As we entered the Brooklyn, one knows why New York Marathon is so special. As I ran past the Mexican establishments in Bay Ridge and Hasidic blocks and Polish blocks in Williamsburg and yuppie joints of East Side and resurgent sliver of South Bronx, I realized how lucky I was to be part of this great adventure and diversity so unique to New York. By that time, it was mile 20 and I was really losing steam and my lack of training had started to show up…as they say, second half of 26.2 miles starts at mile 20…also I started to feel terribly hungry..not having eaten anything since I got up except drinking glasses of Gatorade along the way. I saw a group of people giving away water bottles around mile 21 and they had stack of sandwiches and cookies for their own consumption…I simply ran for and grabbed those cookies and they were so happy to share the same with me ~ I must tell you those were the best cookies I have ever had in my life !

With these new found home made energy bars, I was able to make it for next 3 miles before hitting the rolling hills of Central Park..here is where support from crowd carried me thru. I had written my name on the T-shirt hence everyone was cheering me "Go Raj Go" and these cheers became so loud at some point that I heard a kid asking his dad "Who is this Raj?"… Small kids doing "hi-five", me mentally humming the song "every breath you take, every move you make" and the satisfaction that each step I took, was taking me closer to make a difference in the life of under-privileged children in India - I made it to the finish line.

Crossing the finish line and walking amongst those thousands of runners is such a special feeling ~ each of us have our own story to tell and joy to share. I am blessed with friends like you and hope to keep sharing stories of my adventures with you for years to come!

As always, once again my favorite quote ~ ""What is at the summit of courage, I think, is freedom. The freedom that comes with the knowledge that no earthly power can break you; that an unbroken spirit is the only thing you can't live without...."

Gracias!

Raj

For a contribution by check, please make the check payable to "Lend-A-Hand India" write "Sponsorship for Raj Gilda" in the memo and mail to:

Lend-A-Hand India
784 Columbus Avenue #10G
New York NY 10025, USA

Would you like to run a marathon next year?
Join the "Dream Team 2008" visit us online at www.runforadream.org