Trust Gul Panag to be part of some of the prominent initiatives across the country and still keep it all close and personal. Even though she is running in the Mumbai Marathon on 18th January, 2009, she chose to keep mum about it until a little birdie informed us about her participation in the event.

“Gul Panag will be doing the Half Marathon on 18th January. She hasn’t spoken about it because such matters are close to her heart and she avoids any undue publicity. She is attached to Shradda Charitable Trust which participates in this event every year. Since it’s for a noble cause, the trust wanted her presence in the event to be known”, says a friend of Gul who would be accompanying her in the event.

A pioneering non profit vocational workshop for the autistic and mentally challenged young adults based out of Mumbai, the Trust focus on rehabilitation and training programs dedicated to empower special adults with special skills to create various artistic articles/utility objects, which can be sold.

Opening up, Gul says, “The energy at a sporting event of this magnitude is outstanding. I have run 21 Kms from the time it first started. It’s a great way to start a year and gives me tremendous sense of achievement and fulfillment to run for this Trust that rehabilitates autistic young adults.”

Some of the other celebrities who endorse the Trust are Shaina NC, Poonam Dhillon, Taranna, Gauri Pradhan, Rakshanda Khan and Javed Ahmad. Every year, they walk hand in hand with the special young adults and this year it would be no different.

“Our aim is to inspire these adults in spite of their handicap and make them feel useful and confident as regular earning members of society”, says an official from the Trust.

Mumbai Marathon is expected to be quite a star studded event this year since other than Gul, Rahul Bose too is participating for his foundation. Moreover, Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan are joining him for the Marathon as well.