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All,
It is highly satisfying to hear all the good things being said about the Freedom Ride - 2009. I must also admit that my name has received more than its fair share of credit on the web-space! An event of this nature requires literally hundreds of people and things to come together to reach a level of success this event did, so, in no particular order, I would like to thank all those who made it possible:
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First of all, please join me in thanking those who have fought and continue to fight for the freedom and liberties we enjoy in this Great Nation - Thank you, past, present, and future freedom fighters! We owe you a lot, but appreciate you very little - hopefully, Freedom Ride has done its bit to change that.
- My sincere thanks to:
- The Police and other law enforcement organizations for supporting this event and for whole heartedly allocating their scarce resources to the security of the facilities and the path of Freedom Ride 2009
- The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board for sponsoring multiple aspects of the event and for supplying mobile exhibition vehicles to spread the awareness regarding pollution control
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The staff and management at EMRI and the 108 service, for their generous support in locating ambulances at various spots along the ride. Thanks to NASSCOM for their help in coordinating this arrangement. Fortunately, we never had to use even one ambulance, but if we had to, then we all knew we were in the hands of the best!
- The staff and management at Novotel - Hyderabad, for an exceptional job in overall hospitality management for the event
- PepsiCo India for being the hydration partner of Freedom Ride - 2009
- GE, Avaya, and Aliens for setting up the Rest Stations for the ride and providing an excellent support for the riders when it was needed most
- Ness, SatNav, Merida, Aliens, and several other organizations for sponsoring various aspects of the ride
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The 100+ volunteers from Ness/Invesco and a few other organizations, who tirelessly tended to riders' requirements and gave them that extra ounce of encouragement that was so crucial in getting so many cyclists to finish the ride! If the riders' comments are an indication, then these volunteers absolutely won the hearts of riders through their timely support and cheerful presence!
- The donors who have pledged so generously to the cause of education for under-privileged children
- The staff of Ashray Akruti for their help and coordination
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I cannot thank the organizing teams at Invesco and Atlanta Foundation enough! It is a long list of names, but, they all brought in a collective force of talent, energy, and inspiration that was beyond anything that I have seen in the past. It is my privilege and honor to have these guys in my team!
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Finally, the stars of the event - THE RIDERS - defying almost all nay-sayers, be it on a vintage Atlas or a State-of-the-Art Dahon, you came, rode, and conquered the path of Freedom Ride 2009. With your help, we have now changed the way Hyderabad thinks about cycling! - Thank you!
I am sure I have forgotten to mention somebody or some organization that has helped us in pulling this event off so magnificently - advance apologies for those; I can only remember so much in the matter of a few minutes, but for many, your efforts have helped create lasting memories of a wonderful event.
Again, thanks everyone for all your support! See you all in the soon to be announced "Tour-De-Republic" on January 26, next (if not sooner!)
Thanks,
-Deena.
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Deenanath Harapanahalli
Founder & Chairman - The Atlanta Foundation
Country Head - Invesco, Hyderabad
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