From autistic to artistic

MUMBAI: It was Taare Zameen Par once more. Seven celebs joined a group of 20 young adults in the Dream Run to create awareness about the life of the autistic. With them were staffers and volunteers from the workshop, who ran for the theme — ‘From Autistic to Artistic’.

All 20 young adults from Shraddha workshop for the autistic and the mentally challenged went on to complete the race. The workshop, run by women, teaches these special kids the art of making handicrafts. Those are sold, and the kids are given a stipend from the earnings.

The young adults were joined by Poonam Dhillon, RJ Tarana, Rakshanda Khan, Shaina NC, Kailash and Aarti Surendranath. Designer Shaina NC said, “I have been working with this organisation for the past five years. I feel I can connect with their cause because the theme is to transform autistic to artistic. Only by being with them, do you understand their behaviour. I believe these children have creativity in their genes and it would be great to see them bloom.”

Yeh dil maange more: Nearly 200 differently abled from more than a dozen organisations took part in the marathon, but the “short distance” of 2.5 km left them yearning for more.

Bollywood director Nagesh Kukunoor said on behalf of ADAPT, “The run finished too fast. I wish they had run a longer distance to run soak in more of the festive spirit.”

Satyaprakash Tiwari, who won the Shiv Chhatrapati award in the category, said that he and his team had intended to run the Half Marathon. “For an athlete like me, the 2.5 km distance is too short.”