From November 14-30, the American India Foundation (AIF) held its inaugural virtual walkathon, Walk With AIF. This nationwide charity walk was designed to unite people through the simple yet powerful act of walking. Walk With AIF engaged supporters of all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels. Together, we stepped up with purpose to raise both awareness and funds to support AIF’s changemakers.
For the communities we serve each day, walking is neither recreational nor optional; it’s a lifeline. The journey to school, to access healthcare, or to secure daily wages often requires walking long distances. By moving with intention, our community symbolically walked with the women, children, and youth served through AIF’s award-winning programs in education, livelihoods, and public health.
Powered by Charity Footprints, the walkathon allowed participants to log steps from anywhere. Each participant was able to select an AIF changemaker at the outset of their journey, mirroring the daily steps taken by ASHA (Accredited Social Healthcare Activists) like Somela, providing care for pregnant and postpartum families, or migrant students like Kali, taking steps towards her school…and continuous education. Whether walking their neighborhood route, traveling through an airport over the holidays, or taking pre- and post-Thanksgiving trots, the AIF community collectively took over a million steps together. Indian-American celebrity vegan chef Priyanka Naik even shouted us out on her Instagram story before the holiday weekend!
Walk With AIF has been a celebration of youth leadership. To start the campaign with energy and togetherness, AIF hosted a New York City kickoff walk with its New York Young Professionals chapter, which included a walk along the High Line and chai at Chelsea Market. We’re equally proud to highlight inspiring former AIF interns Kyra Menon, who now leads AIF’s first-ever Cornell University Chapter, and Rylie Simon, who now serves as AIF’s Marketing Associate. Current AIF Youth Ambassador Diya Desai raised nearly $1,000 (in addition to her campaign to fund the Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST) Program), reminding us that there is no age bracket for peer-to-peer impact. Their journeys from internships to leadership demonstrate the powerful ripple effect of investing in the next generation.
We also recognize the support of all community members who amplified the walkathon fundraiser, made donations to support walkers, and added this new collective action to their calendars.
Of course, these are just a few stories that remind us that changemaking is both immediate and long-term, and it often starts with one opportunity, one connection, or one step. Together, we walk for a cause, toward a brighter, bolder future.
