‘Xpressions’, Vibha’s monthly newsletter:
We at Vibha have a duty to two valuable customers; the children of the lesser Gods who are always deserving of our efforts and YOU, our patrons who make it possible for us to enrich their lives. We know that you would like to be kept aware of all the happenings in the world of Vibha and we want ‘Xpressions’ to be your window into that world. The Xpressions team is committed to regularly providing you with project news, volunteer views, upcoming events, and most importantly a pulse on the strides we are making.

As our patrons, if you would like to express your views on our organization or on anything to do with making a difference in the world of the underprivileged child in India, we would definitely like to hear it - and feature it in Xpressions.

If you would simply like to make suggestions and recommendations we welcome and value your input. Please feel free to contact the Xpressions team at xpressions@vibha.org

Breaking News:
Vibha has opened up its India chapter in Bengaluru, the first action center of many more to come. Read all about the start-up of Vibha Bengaluru in this issue.

Citius Altius Fortius, Onward with the Dream Mile:
4 months into the year and the efforts for this year’s flagship event- the annual Vibha walk/run are progressing at a steady pace. In this issue we turn the spotlight on Minnesota and take a look at the many joys and challenges Vibha volunteers face while organizing the Dream Mile in the twin cities.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Vibha-Twin Cities, MN is organizing The Dream Mile, the annual Walk/Run event. On Sep 21 2008, about 500 runners will congregate at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, MN, to run a few miles for a million dreams.

The action center in Minnesota organized a couple of 5K run events in the late 1990s. After a lull in the activities for a few years, a group of enthusiastic volunteers revived the action center in 2003 and put their hearts into organizing 'Pave a Path for a Child's Future – 5K Walk/Run' in 2004. Nikhil Neelakantan recalls those trying times: "The action center was still ramping up in terms of volunteer strength and none of us had prior experience in organizing a race like this. We had to go with our gut instincts and focus on getting it done".

The beautiful Lake Phalen at St. Paul, MN was chosen as the event venue, almost nine months in advance. Nikhil recalls: "The St. Paul Parks and Recreation Board takes in applications for event bookings on the first day of the calendar year. That means waiting in line at 6:00 am on January 1st at the Parks office". The volunteers still have the same level of enthusiasm and have waited in line at 6:00 am on Jan 1 for the following 4 years as well. Lake Phalen has remained the location for the event over the last five years. Easy access to the highways and the USATF certified trails still make it a very good choice.

"Our first successful event in 2004 gave the team a lot of confidence", recalls Urvi Neelakantan, one of the volunteers who was instrumental in reviving the action center. "Advice from other action centers was helpful in overall planning and in managing the day-of-the-event tasks."

Ashish Gaikwad is a Ph.D student at the University of Minnesota and has been a volunteer at Vibha-MN for the last three years and this year, he is leading the event with Venkata Rajaram. Says Ashish, "I used to distribute water to the participants and mark the race courses but this year, I have the opportunity to plan and lead the event. I know that I am making a difference in the life of an underprivileged child and I am glad that Vibha provides a platform for me to do just that and also to some 800 other volunteers."

The event in Minnesota has grown substantially in the last five years. The participant count exceeded 200 in 2006 and event timing was outsourced. In 2007, more than 360 participants registered for the event. "I had a truly memorable experience last year organizing the race. We have attracted many returning participants over the years as they feel that the event is very well organized and they believe in the cause. Many of the participants have also been donors or patrons for other Vibha programs. The entire MN team recognizes this to be the Vibha flagship event and works enthusiastically towards its success", says Manoj Kalra, who was the Dream Mile event lead in MN for 2007. This year, the MN team is planning to attract 500 registrants. There is also a heavy emphasis on acquiring corporate sponsorships for the race. For the last several years, corporations based in Twin Cities, MN have sent participant teams for the event and also sponsored the event. Venkata Rajaram, one of the Dream Mile event leads for 2008 says, "Twin Cities is home to several corporations and we are actively pursuing sponsorships from them this year. The metro population is also very health-conscious and has many runners/ athletes. However, it has been a challenge attracting Indian participants."

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