MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown Hindu Religious and Cultural Center (HRCC) wants area residents to join them to celebrate the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
The 18th Annual Gandhi Day Walkathon will take place on Saturday, September 28, starting at 3 p.m., where the HRCC will host an afternoon of celebration of Indian and Hindu culture at their Bakers Ridge Road worship temple. HRCC member Suma Ponnam encourages those who want to try unique Indian dishes and learn more about Hindu culture while getting some exercise to stop by, with proceeds from the event going to support a local charity as a tribute to Gandhi.
“This has been organized by the Hindu religious and cultural community for the last 18 years to support local charities,” said Ponnam on the purpose of the walkathon. “The goal is to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace, nonviolence, and unity,” she said.
The walkathon will include a presentation of Indian heritage that will vary from food to music and dance numbers, which will be hosted throughout the afternoon. Foods from every region in India will be represented, with opportunities to listen to performances from members of the Morgantown Hindu community while learning more about the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. According to Ponnam, the majority of the food will be handmade by members of the HRCC, with food proceeds going towards helping others.
“You can enjoy a diverse array of food from every corner in India, we have performances from our Sunday School kids showcasing various costumes from various regions of India,” said Ponnam on what to expect during the walkathon. “We’ll (also) have dance performances and musical performances,” she said.
For the 18th iteration of the walkathon, Operation Welcome Home will be the charity that will receive funds from the event. They were selected as part of the traditions for the annual Gandhi Day Walkathon, which selects a charity that helps Mountain State residents where all the proceeds of the event will be donated. This follows such organizations as Pantry Plus More and the West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital who were previously beneficiaries in years past.
“It’s an opportunity to serve the local community,” said Ponnam on the HRCC initiative to donate to a charity during the Gandhi Day Walkathon. “Every year, whatever we raise is donated to a local charity, and this year, our charity that we are supporting is Operation Welcome Home,” she said.
Entry to the event is $5 per person, and any family who attends will be able to bring children aged 12 or younger free of charge. The walk itself, which will start in the parking lot of the HRCC temple on Bakers Ridge Road, will include representatives from Operation Welcome who will speak before the walk begins at around 3:45 p.m. With tickets on sale up to the afternoon of the event, Ponnam and the rest of the Indian and Hindu Community in Morgantown encourage North Central West Virginians to stop by and celebrate the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
“The event starts at 3:15, and we have our keynote speakers, and we have people from Operation Welcome Home (who will speak),” said Ponnam. “Then the walk will commence at 3:45, so if you’re here by 3:00, that would be perfect,” she said.