£2357 of £2000

Raiders of the Last Chapati

http://www.WillWeMakeIt.com/raidersofthelastchapati

Minimum donation £1.20 / €1.20 / $1.20

About the Adventure ===============================================================

NEW WEBSITE! - we've started a blog so you can follow our mishaps from now up to the start line in Kathmandu. From June 1st we'll also be posting regular reports from on the road in India. Tune in to find out what's become of us at www.raidersofthelastchapati.blogspot.com

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So you’re probably wondering what kind of half-baked madness we’ve stumbled blindly into this time. Well the good folks at the League of Adventurists (www.theadverturists.com) have kindly agreed to let us join the mighty Rickshaw Run. A race across 2000 miles of the Indian subcontinent in a vehicle which amounts to little more than a tin can on three wheels.

At this point you’ve probably thinking what? When? How? And most likely WHY? Well here are a few answers:

When is the Rickshaw Run?

The 2008 Summer Rickshaw Run will start on the 1st of June and the finish line party will take place approximately 2 weeks later. (Whether we make it to the finish line is another thing entirely!)

We will spend the 31st May playing cricket and acquainting ourselves with the rickshaws, the other teams and no doubt some gin and tonics.

What is a Rickshaw?

Three wheels, half a horse power and more fun than any other vehicle on planet Earth the humble Rickshaw is undoubtedly the ultimate long distance, off road machine, despite being designed for short distances on road.

What is the Route?

Kathmandu (Nepal) to Pondicherry (on the South East coast of India).I'd like to say that we have a good idea of where we're going but we'd be deluding ourselves if we did. We could go via the Himalayas? The Thar Desert? Rainforests? Kashmir? Bangladesh? You name it we might try it.

Is it safe?

No. Such is the way with adventure.

Will we definitely make it?

No, this is an adventure not a guided tour. What would be the point if we knew we'd make it.

What happens if we break down?

We tie the Rickshaw back together with our only pair of spare pants and carry on. We know very little about mechanics any repairs will of the "stick it together and hope" school of engineering. Besides there are people everywhere to help bolt our wheels/engine back on.

Where the bloody hell will we sleep?

Err, wherever we like. The Rickshaw Run is an adventure not flowery driving tour for ninnies. Waking up in an ants nest, spending the night with accommodating locals, sleeping upright in our Rickshaw or nestled up to the alpha male of a troop of monkeys is the sort of situation that makes these trips worth while.

What are the roads like?

Average, bad, terrible and non-existent depending on where we go. The beauty of the route is that there isn’t one! We can go wherever we like and as such make it as difficult as we think we can get away with. We will be trying to avoid the large highways. Not only are they going to be boring and smelly, we might get flattened. They drive like mentalists!

How long will it take?

Well this being an adventure it's not entirely possible to say. We are looking at completing it in about two weeks.

Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Although we hope to have a lot of fun taking part in this event we are doing it for a serious cause - to raise much needed funds for;

Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org.uk) and,
Frank Water Projects (www.frankwater.com/ourwaterprojects.php).

Mercy Corps' assistance to India dates back to January 2001 when the agency responded to a devastating earthquake in Gujarat. Today, Mercy Corps is working in India to build community collaboration and fulfil dire health and economic needs. The Himalayan foothills around Darjeeling, India are home to some of the world's finest teas - and some of Asia's poorest families. Current programmes include initiatives to improve water and sanitation, schooling, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Frank Water Projects is an independent not-for-profit company that uses income from selling bottled water in the UK to fund clean water projects in India. In this way it hopes to bring about positive change in some of the world’s poorest communities. More than a billion people in the world today lack access to clean drinking water. The result is that there are more people in the world’s hospitals today suffering from water-borne diseases than any other ailment. Two million children die every year - 6000 a day - from such infections. Most of them are under the age of five.

How can you help?

We're glad you said that because we need your help to really make a difference. Here is how we'd like you to get involved:

1) Join our facebook group where you can keep up-to-date with all our latest news and fundraising events. Coming soon there will also be games, competitions and anything else we can think of to keep you amused.

2) Donate by following the links below. WillWeMakeIt uses Paypal to collect donations so it's totally secure and all you need is a credit or debit card. Best of all the charities can claim the gift aid making your donation even more valuable.

3) If you'd like to see your company logo adorn our webpages and the rickshaw as we make our way across India contact us at the email address below.

Thanks,

Mark and Tom

Raiders of the Last Chapati
Contact us for more information: chapatiraiders@googlemail.com

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MARK AND TOM WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SUPPORT
Mick, Rob and JCO, Jacquie Doyle, The Greenhams, Rob Hitchings
Everyone who came to our car wash event (you know who you are)
Grandma Barrows, Dave Durston, Claire Kendrick, Beccy Doyle
Uncle Chris & Auntie Lorraine, Dan Bromley, Veronica Laker, Paul Redmond,
Steve Walters, the Marriott Family, Nisha Chaudhry, Uncle Derek & Auntie Jane,
Gina Hadley, Linda Tiller, Beth Luckin, Graham Thornton, Peter & Liz, Joe & Natalie Byers, Joe Beal, David Omar, Jim Cleary, the Bromiley Family

Minimum donation £1.20 / €1.20 / $1.20

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES //