Boby Chemmanur announces second phase of “Give Blood Save Life” campaign

DUBAI- June 04, 2014: Boby Chammanur, renowned Indian entrepreneur-philanthropist, and Chairman and Managing Director of Boby Chemmanur International Jewellers, has announced the next phase of his “Give Blood Save Life” campaign. 

The campaign is a marathon run, spearheaded by Boby Chemmanur for promoting blood donation among the public aimed at catering to the requirements of critically-ill patients and emergency departments of health facilities. Launched in Kerala, India in March 2014, Boby is the first Indian to run across 812 kilometres in around 200 hours in the South Indian state.

Boby Chemmanur’s upcoming task is to stage a 1000 kilometre marathon in the US, as part of his plans to set up the largest database of blood donors in the world. In the third phase, Boby will run across the UAE spreading the message of blood donation among the residents here. The UAE marathon will take place soon after the campaign in the US. 

Speaking at a Press conference in Dubai on Wednesday, Boby Chammanur shared his experience in the recently concluded marathon in India. “This challenge took a lot out of me. I’m doing it for a cause and that is the only thing that kept me going. The “Give Blood Save Life” campaign is part of my support to life-saving activities around the world.”

“I have been preparing for the marathon for over six months both physically and mentally. People from all walks of life would participate in the campaign, running along with me in the marathon. I am looking forward to mobilise more people to come forward and donate blood in our efforts to extend support to critically-ill patients and health facilities in the region and other parts of the world. I hope this would help several patients to improve the quality of their lives,” Boby added. 

Commenting on the campaign, Mark London, the spokesperson for “Give Blood Save Life” campaign in the US, said, “The appeal for this has spread across the whole spectrum of society. As we aim to raise awareness on a highly relevant subject, we are happy to see that the campaign is drawing a huge interest from the people. The campaign in the US will take place very soon, with the support of tens of thousands of people who are expected to participate in the marathon.”

According to Boby, the awareness that we are not actually the holders of the wealth we earn makes him the happiest man in the world. “I understand that we are satisfied when we utilize our health and wealth for supporting the needy. When it comes to donating blood, we become stronger as it saves the lives of several others in this world. I view that charity is a universal remedy against discord, and a holy cement for mankind. We become more blessed when we try to give more, rather than to receive.” 

The first phase of Boby’s marathon to spread the message of “Give Blood Save Life” launched on April 12, 2014 starting from the Kasaragod district of Kerala in India and culminated at Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. He set a record by entering the India Book of Records for success of 812 kilometre-long marathon run. Boby was accompanied by tens of thousands of people during the record-breaking run, spending USD 3.4 million on charity activities to support 1,000 deserving people during the run. 

Boby founded Chemmanur Lifevision Charitable Trust, as an abode for destitute. He is expanding his social works by providing free ambulance service, setting up blood banks, and providing free rice to the needy, etc. 

For his entrepreneurial efforts and social activities, Boby has been recognized with several awards and accolades that include the Best Humanitarian Award, Mother Theresa Award, Vijayashree Award and Excellent Young Businessman Award, to name a few. Boby’s blood donation campaign amassed as much as 1.5 million Likes on Facebook within a month’s time.

Boby is a winner of three major records including the Unique World Records, Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records.