Lilburn, GA - 10 year old Sahaj Patel had his laces tied and was ready to go on an early Saturday morning. Sahaj was on a mission to fundraise for a cause close to his heart and one that reflects a reality of his time: saving the environment. Reversing the impact of global warming seems like a daunting task in and of itself; however, Sahaj was determined to take action and help bring awareness to his local community.

For the last 6 weeks, Sahaj took up the cause of raising funds and awareness to support BAPS Charities Walk Green held on May 7, 2016 in Lilburn, GA. Inspired by the motto of think globally, act locally, Sahaj personally raised over $1,000. With great enthusiasm and ambition, he made an effort to speak to all those that he knew in his local community.
 

Recognizing the need to promote environment awareness, this year BAPS Charities Walk Green is supporting The Nature Conservancy and its Plant a Billion Trees campaign to restore 1.6 million acres of land by 2025. The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. With over 1 million members, the organization protects more than 119 million acres of land, thousands of miles of rivers, and operates more than 100 marine conservation projects globally since 1951. In support of this initiative, BAPS Charities walks across North America will contribute to the rejuvenation of dying forests by helping plant over 70,000 trees in the United States.

This year’s walk brought together over 800 participants from the very young to the elderly. The walk launched with a traditional prayer for world peace and an opening speech by Soumya Hombaiah, Director of Finance and Operations at The Nature Conservancy, “We are proud and honored to be partnered with BAPS Charities in sharing our commitment to conserve nature for the environmental good and for future generations.”

In addition to supporting the Nature Conservancy, the Walk Green 2016 in Lilburn, GA also supported The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta as a local beneficiary. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta strives to save and change the lives of children and teens, especially those who need us most, by providing a safe, positive, and engaging environment and programs that prepare and inspire them to achieve Great Futures.

BAPS Charities undertakes many such charitable events throughout the year to support the community. In addition to annual walkathons across over fifty cities in North America, BAPS Charities hosts a variety of programs to support healthy living, environmental awareness and education initiatives.
 

About BAPS Charities

BAPS Charities is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities. It is affiliated with BAPS as an independent charity and social services arm. The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 3,300 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually.

Among social service charities, BAPS Charities is a well-respected and trusted name. It has amassed over 50 years of firsthand experience in initiating, managing, and sustaining 160 humanitarian operations throughout the world in such diverse fields as: medical services, environmental services, community services, tribal services, and disaster relief services.


For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit www.bapscharities.org.