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Irish walking group plans trip to Kerala

Brisk walking is the safest and best preventive measure against heart diseases. For tourists, it is a way to see a country from close quarters. The Irish Heart Foundation Walking Group has been promoting walking along with creating awareness about heart diseases.

The foundation, which has been organising overseas-sponsored walks for the past 16 years, has chosen God’s Own Country as its destination for the Overseas Walk 2007. Kerala is the first State in the country to receive the walkers from Ireland.

This has come as a feather in the cap for the Responsible Tourism initiative commenced by Kerala Tourism to ensure local participation in tourism activities.

A 60-member contingent from the group will arrive in Kochi from Dublin on October 13 via Abu Dhabi. After a 11-day walk through the villages, towns and some cities of the State, they will fly back on October 23. “Walking group from Ireland is the first to arrive in the country. Their aim is to focus on ‘walking tourism’ coupled with an awareness programme for heart diseases,” said K.B. Vinod of ‘Holiday at Kerala’ of the Saj Group,which was instrumental in bringing the walkers to the State.

The group will visit the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, the hill resort of Munnar, Thekkady wildlife sanctuary and move through tea, rubber and spice plantations during their stay in Kerala.

The participants will walk for five to six hours every day.

While walking, the members of the group will disseminate information on prevention of heart attacks as part of the awareness programme worked out by the foundation.

Ruth Findlater, Fundraising Manager, Irish Heart Foundation Oveseas Walks, said: “India is a wonderful country waiting to be explored. We look forward to introduce the group members to new cultures, new challenges and new friends.”

Funds collected from the people of Ireland are utilised for the campaign. The walkers will donate some of the collected amount to those orphaned by the tsunami in the State.

The second contingent with 85 persons will arrive on March 2008.

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

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