Jeannie Mulford and David Mulford, former US Ambassador to India, singer Madan Gopal Singh, Mohini Daljeet Singh CEO of Max India Foundation, H.E. Mr. Joao Gomes Ambassador European Union, H.E. Mr. Stewart Beck High Commissioner, Canadian High Commission, Pratyush Kumar India President Boeing International were among leading personalities who showed their support by participating, along with Harmala Gupta, CanSupport Founder-President and prime motivator for the Walk.
This year, CanSupport’s Walk for Life witnessed more than 8,000 participants including, the corporate houses, supporters, members of the diplomatic corps and expat community in Delhi, and cancer survivors walked or ran down Rajpath to show they care, and to support the work of the organisation in the field of palliative care.
CanSupport’s annual Walk aims to create awareness about cancer, to raise funds for the people affected by cancer and to honour the struggle against cancer. Cancer survivors were cheered as they witnessed a signature dance performance called '’Dance the Raj-Path” by the Heart Light Collective Group. People walked and ran in memory of loved ones and wrote moving messages on the Wall of Honour. One of the high points of the walk was the Indian Army Band that performed in front of the crowd.
An impressive performance combining elements of theatre and dance, specially choreographed by the Good Luck Boys lightened the proceedings, Bhoomika Creative Dance Centre also performed for the walkers. Fun activities like tattoos, face painting and nail art kept the walkers in good spirits, while DJ’s pepped up the ambience. Younger children were provided with drawing books and colours. A unique performance by ‘Iron-Man’, a group of Harley Davidson bikers on their machines rounded off the event.
Certificates of Merit and prizes were awarded to different groups to laud them for their active efforts in furthering the CanSupport cause. Boeing International Corporation India Pvt Ltd was acknowledged as CanSupport’s largest supporter for 2013-2014. Certificates were given for the Largest School Group New Era Public School, the Largest Corporate Group KPMG and the Largest Volunteer Group Fostiima Business School. Also awarded were the Highest Individual Pledge Raiser Prabhav Rajvanshi, Highest Institutional Pledge Raiser Cambridge School Indirapuram and the person raising the highest number of individual registrations Anita Marwaha.
In India, cancer has become one of the four leading causes of death, according to estimates from the Cancer Registry Program of ICMR reveal that Delhi has the highest prevalence rate in India – there are currently 200,000 people in the capital with cancer with about 21,000 being added annually. Of these, 10,000 die every year. On the back of this disheartening statistic is the fact that 75%-80% patients are diagnosed when they are in the 3rd or 4th stage of cancer – hence the key role of palliative care for these people, over and above medical interventions and treatment.
Harmala Gupta, Founder of CanSupport thanked all participants and volunteers who had gathered together to express their solidarity with the cause of cancer. “Unlike the west, where survivorship figures for cancer are on the rise, in India unfortunately the majority of those diagnosed become aware of their condition when the cancer has already spread and cure becomes difficult” she said. Gupta, a cancer survivor herself, believes that palliative care is a neglected field in India, with the focus of government and private hospitals being on treatments that may not be appropriate or affordable. “CanSupport helps ease the suffering and turmoil of patients and families coping with advanced illness that threatens their dignity and quality of life.” she added. CanSupport is a pioneer in the field of palliative care and runs the largest home-care programme for people with cancer in India.
The 2014 Walk for Life was supported by Boeing as principal sponsor, Max India Foundation as associate sponsors and Quaker and Tropicana as supporters.
Boeing has been CanSupport’s largest supporter in 2013-14, contributing to CanSupport’s mission to provide free palliative and supportive care to people with cancer. Boeing has been associated with CanSupport for more than 4 years. CanSupport thanks Boeing team and the CSR lead for their support.
About CanSupport:
CanSupport is a not-for-profit registered society that has since 1997 delivered palliative care, free of charge, to thousands of people battling cancer in Delhi and its neighborhood. Its pioneering home care service, delivered by a team of professionals trained in palliative care, is recognized worldwide and has brought much needed medical, nursing and emotional support to the doorstep of people battling with the advanced stages of cancer. The focus is on the underserved and the less privileged which is why CanSupport depends on donations and the goodwill of the public to sustain its programmes which are all offered free of charge. CanSupport also has a telephone helpline, a Day Care, peer support groups and counseling services. It is at the forefront of training medical professionals, nurses, counselors and caregivers in Delhi and the region. Besides the annual Foundation Course in Palliative Care it runs certificate courses in palliative medicine, nursing and counseling. For more details, please visit www.cansupport.org or www.walkforlifeindia.org
