Work out and Help the Needy at Sevathon 2016

Walk, run or do yoga—it is all good for your mental and physical well-being. While you're burning calories, what if you get an opportunity to feed the hungry and empower the needy?

[Photo provided]

The art of seva is embedded in Indian culture. Seva is a Sanskrit word, meaning “selfless service” or work performed without any thought or reward. In ancient India, seva was believed to improve one’s spiritual growth and contribute towards the progress of the society

Despite our capacity to connect with people around the world with a simple click of a button, sometimes we find ourselves helpless, lost in this world that has become extremely dynamic in nature. Whom do I serve? How do I go about the initiative? These questions are mere hindrances to the action of seva.

Silicon Sage Homes’ India Community Center’s Sevathon 2016 was initiated with the same philosophy of serving the community. Sevathon gives an opportunity to take part in the process of community building. It is a charitable exercise organized by India Community Center. More than 100 nonprofits come together on one trail to reach the finishing line to raise money for causes they are working for.

Sevathon is taking place on June 26, 2016, in San Jose. You can walk, run or do yoga to raise money for your favorite cause. This is one event that unites the walkers/runners, donors and the underprivileged. The logic behind this integration is extremely creative. This is not giving simply writing a check or giving away your old clothes, ICC Sevathon is an inspiring charity exercise. It aims to accomplish a larger goal of bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and uniting the community.

The event recognizes, supports, and nurtures a spirit of giving by empowering individuals of diverse backgrounds to unite and strengthen their communities. Walkers, runners, non-profits, sponsors, family members and friends are all part of the Sevathon family, as they enable each non-profit organization partner to deliver its message and further its cause.

The rise in running for charity in the last decade has increased by leaps and bounds. According to Running USA, “U.S. road races pulled in $1.2 billion for nonprofit organizations in 2012, more than double the amount from a decade ago. Since the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society launched Team In Training in 1988, race-charity partnerships have been wildly successful.”

We run on treadmills to simply burn calories, the time our exercise sessions, stare at our fitness trackers, and the only goal is to simply get done with it, so when we sit out dinner tables, we can eat guilt-free. This is not a sustainable workout regime. We need a larger goal at the end of the tunnel. And ICC Sevathon leads us to that noble goal, that will motivate us to work out.