Announcing the Rickshaw Challenge’s official charity partner: Round Table India.

Adopt-A-Village is the homegrown South Indian charity started by the Rickshaw Challenge. While all charity efforts are optional for challenge participants; the response has been wonderfully positive and we have found an established local organization who can assist in financial, administrative and organizational efforts making it easier for donors.

Round Table India’s goals are perfectly in line with ours and allow us to have a greater impact. Madras Midtown Round Table #42 is also based in Chennai, India. “Freedom through Education” is RTI’s flagship long term project to build schools to educate one million children. Even better Round Table is also a zero-overhead organization which means that any and all funding raised by Round Table reaches the intended beneficiary in its entirety. All administrative expenses of the Round Table are covered by subscriptions from its members.

The Rickshaw Challenge’s Adopt-A-Village program introduces teams to local villages giving participants a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to schools and visit with children and teachers. If you’re impressed at

the way the whole country seems to come out and welcome you at every point along the way you’ll be completely amazed at the heartfelt reception you get when visiting schools. Teams may bring school supplies, medical supplies, toys and other basic items as well as contribute financially. Just download a donations form here.

After the completion of the event teams will be invited to a beer session where everyone will be invited to review and vote on how money should be spent and distributed among all the villages visited. Teams will then have the option of selecting a representative to work with a local representative from the Adopt-A-Village charity partner (RTI) who will respond with images and updates about how the money is being used. This can be done remotely and may also be used to report back to any donors who require accountability to pledge funds.

Our Environmental Responsibility Pledge

In 2007 the Rickshaw Challenge became the world’s first motorsport to participate in carbon sequestering. We work with Trees For the Future, a USA based charity that plants trees directly in India and Senegal.

This is one of several on-going efforts we have to reduce our environmental impact. We regularly speak with charitable organization about how to effectively match active adults with important educational, health and environmental causes.