It was a truly red letter day for TANKER Foundation when the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Sylendra Babu, cycled 100 kms as part of the TANKER Foundation Cycling Rally 2022.

The cycling marathon took place Sunday, November 13, 2022 and started from Hotel Savera on Radhakrishnan Salai, Chennai. There were two segments: The 100 kms rally, which started at 4.30 am, and the 25 kms / 50 kms rally that started at 5.30 am.

The DGP’s rally was flagged off at 4.30 am and he was accompanied by a number of bikers.

When Dr. Sylendra Babu returned at around 9 am, he was given a rousing welcome at the parking lot by all the bikers who had also returned to Hotel Savera.

The rally was to enable TANKER raise funds for BP machines for all Tamil Nadu police stations so that police personnel can check their BP regularly and take corrective action to avoid kidney disease, and for dialysis machines for the police hospital. TANKER Foundation is very grateful to him for his dedication and enthusiasm in helping in this mission.

After the rally, TANKER Foundation Managing Trustee, Dr. Georgi Abraham, who initiated this effort, thanked the DGP for doing the cycle rally and said apart from being an awareness programme on kidney health it was also to help the TANKER project of providing electronic BP apparatus to all police stations in Tamil Nadu.

He said uncontrolled high BP was one of the main causes of kidney disease, along with high blood sugar. Indiscriminate diet would also affect the kidneys. Regular check-up of BP was most important, especially for the police force, to take early action, he pointed out.

He conveyed his gratitude to Dr. Sylendra Babu, who completed the 100 kms in record time, the 230 participants who cycled in spite of the rain, Mrs. Nina Reddy and Savera Hotel, Centaur Pharmaceuticals, The Hindu, Big FM, Hello City TV, BoB, WCCG, Just Buy Cycles, Pro Bikers, DGP Dr. Jayanth Murali, who has earlier run four marathons and initiated this programme, now cycled for the first time and finished the 100 kms rally, Mrs. Rajalakshmi Ravi, Head, TANKER Awareness and Prevention Programme, (TAPP), and Mrs. Vasanthi Ravi, Head Admin, TANKER Foundation, and the team.

Dr. Georgi Abraham said the plan to set up a dialysis unit in the police hospital at Egmore was also under way and it would be completed in three months’ time.

At this point, Mrs. Nina Reddy, Trustee, TANKER Foundation, announced that she was donating Rs. 1 lakh for the police hospital project.

Soft-spoken Dr. Sylendra Babu said he would like to thank TANKER Foundation for being concerned about the health of police personnel. He also said he was very happy to be associated with TANKER and that he enjoyed the ride in the rain.

And then it was a mad scramble among bikers for selfies with the DGP who patiently acceded to their requests.

It was more introductions and more selfies as Dr. Sylendra Babu had breakfast and had his photo clicked at the standee along with Dr. Georgi Abraham, TANKER Foundation Managing-Trustee, Mrs. Latha A. Kumaraswami, and Mrs. Vasanthi Ravichander.

The DGP was presented a special memento by the TANKER family.

Mrs. Latha Kumaraswami spoke about TANKER having done over 5 lakhs free and subsidised dialysis and donating over Rs. 4 crores for medication, investigation costs for the needy.

She deeply appreciated the police personnel as Angels on Earth, along with all frontline workers, including TANKER staff, who work selflessly to help people.

She thanked the CMCHIS, Greater Chennai Corporation, Rotary, Freemasons and all TANKER donors for their continued support.