My first rally for a cause.

Destination - NTA Grounds, Bangalore.
Distance - 30 kms
Date - 19 January 2020
Reason - Polio Awareness Ride.
Sponsor - Rotary Club, Vidyanarayanapura.
Group - Bangalore Bong Bikers (BBB)

This is about a ride which is different. It is different in a way that this ride was not only about our satisfaction that we derive out of riding but also about creating awareness about Polio and the necessary precautions to be taken.

This was my first ride for a cause or for creating awareness among the people about a particular thing or a disease that exists and the possible ways of avoiding such mishaps.

I had heard a lot about such rides but had never been a part of it. This time as I was a member of BBB, I got an invite in the group to become a part of this noble cause. So this Sunday was certainly different from the other previous Sundays.

The day began at 6:30 in the morning and we had planned to meet near Cubbon Park. As usual, the group was late but there was plenty of time for us to reach the destination. The group had a few new riders and as we introduced ourselves and got to know each other, the remaining riders reached the meeting point.

Soon after everyone arrived, we were on our way to the NTI Grounds. After a ride of about 20 kms we reached the venue and were delighted to see the response that the event received.

The riders were given a warm welcome and were directed to specific spots to assemble according to the group that they belonged to. Every rider who was to participate in the rally was given a t-shirt and some refreshments before the rally. Soon after the assemblage, the chief guest arrived and gave a welcome speech and subsequently addressed the gathering.

After quite a long speech by the chief guest which almost left us roasted in the scorching heat, we were headed for the awareness ride of about 1000 bikers. The awareness ride of 10 kms turned out to be a highly disciplined event which attracted media attention. The reach and the possible impact of the ride were quite evident from the headlines of the daily newspapers of the next day.

The rally was for about 45 mins and then we arrived back at the NTI Grounds. Soon after our arrival after the rally, we were given some great breakfast, some more refreshments and some inputs on eradication of polio from India.

The best part of the day was yet to come. The best part of such rallies which is bound to make some adrenaline rush are the showdowns by the groups.

I was put in an awkward situation when I was told that I had to lead the showdown of our group. Though there was excitement for being the one to lead the showdown but I was quite nervous about the same. The reason for feeling awkward and being nervous was that I had never been part of a showdown, much less had led one.

Gathering all the courage that I could, I jumped in for the show down, a few rounds and then I had to stop in front of the stage. All went well as planned but the burnout which came next wasn't planned and it took everybody by surprise.

Once the showdown was complete, it was time for some felicitation, appreciation and some encouragement. Out of the few awards that were given, BBB also managed to get one of them. BBB was awarded for the participation with the maximum riders.

Last but not the least, it was now time for individual felicitation of the members of BBB. The youngest participant was a 2 years old baby who had come for the rally.