TAF & VODAFONE INDIA PARTNER TO PRESENT INDIA’S BIGGEST CORPORATE CYCLING EVENT – FREEDOM RIDE – 2014
Hyderabad, August 08, 2014: The Atlanta Foundation (TAF) and VodafoneIndia today announced their partnership to present the sixth edition of theFreedom Ride – 2014 – India’s biggest and aspirational corporate cycling event. This event is being conducted at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, as a part of festivities surrounding India’s 67thIndependence Day on August 15, 2014.
The 2014 edition of Freedom Ride will see the participation of 10,000 participants primarily from leading Corporates and Enterprises in Hyderabad. This is the largest participation ever in the six year history of the annual TAF cycling event. Amongst participating companies are names likeCyient, ADP, Broadridge, GE, Deloitte, Bank of America, Tech Mahindra, Franklin Templeton, Google, Invesco, CA, Wells Fargo, and many more.
Conveying his best wishes for the forthcoming Freedom Ride, “Mandeep Singh Bhatia, Business Head- Andhra Pradesh&Telangana, Vodafone India, said, “We are all geared up for the Vodafone Freedom Ride 2014 brought to you by TAF and hope that this event will provide a significant impetus to the cause of cycling for health and promoting a greener environment. As a value based organization, Vodafone is committed to achieving the highest standards of Health, Safety and Well-being not only for its employees but also for all its partners. This partnership with TAF is part of our endeavour to create awareness in society for adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle and aim to encourage all age groups to take up cycling.”
The Freedom Ride, as has been the practice, offers multiple distance options for participants to choose from. The Signature Ride of the event is the 67 Kms Ride, which coincides with the 67th anniversary of Indian Independence. Other options include 2Kms for beginner riders (Joy Ride). Special segmentsof ‘Strong Woman, Strong Nation’, an exclusive women’s cycling team and ‘Strong Youth, Strong Nation’, an exclusive kids’ team will also be part of this event. Professional cyclists also have a chance to participate in the event’s half hour race segment called ‘TAF Criterium’. This race will award the top 10 winners with cash prizes (1st prize is Rs. 25,000; 2nd prize is Rs. 15,000; 3rd prize is Rs. 10,000; and the rest of the 7 runners-up get Rs. 3,000). All Signature riders will receive a medal of achievement while all other riders will receive a certificate.
The TAF-Vodafone Freedom Ride 2014 is also connected with an underlying social cause – the event raises funds and spreads greater awareness for a school program that supports the education of underprivileged students.
Dr. Jayesh Ranjan, Vice Chairman &Managing Director of TSIIC, known to be a great supporter of cycling said, “We have close to 200,000 people who work here and 15 prominent residential neighborhoods in this area and we want to encourage them to start using cycles. Now is the time to show your commitment to cycling and support a major civic responsibility.”
While talking of TAF’s mission of promoting cycling, Mr. Deenanath Harapanahalli, Founder & CEO of TAF, says “At TAF, we have been working relentlessly for the past six years to promote the culture of cycling and it’s great to see the results showing. From 189 riders in 2009 to 10,000 riders this August 15 at our event – what a growth story! I am sure at this rate, we’ll soon be a global phenomenon“
The silver sponsors of the event are Shoppers’ Stop and Gati. Associate sponsors of this event are Montra Cycles, Maruti, Apollo Hospitals, Peregrine Guarding, Hartex Rubber, Hyderabad Metro Rail, TSIIC, and HYSEA (formerly known as ITsAP). The academic partner of this event is CMR and the Charity Partner of this event is United Way of Hyderabad.
