More than 650 participants of all ages walked the annual walkathon organized Sunday, May 31, 2026, by the Flushing Swaminarayan Mandir under BAPS Charities, at the Kissena Park in Flushing, close to where the Mandir is located.
The morning opened with a check-in call for the participants, followed by singing of the American and Indian national anthems. “We also celebrated the quarter century of the Land of the Free as its proud citizens,” said Dr. Vipul Patel, Administrator of the Outreach Committee of the Swaminarayan Mandir, to Desi Talk.
Participants took part in the mandatory ten minutes warm up exercises conducted by two Physical Therapists. The walk began soon with participants waving the American flag. Constant warnings about the open pond in the park were announced, and volunteers were placed at many spots on the walk.
According to Patel, the participants were excited about the walkathon this year and had registered quickly much before the event. “For them, the walkathon is not just a practice for a healthy lifestyle,” Patel said. “It is also practicing the principle of the spirit of service which is one of the founding principles of Swaminarayan Sampradaay,” he added. Members of the Flushing Mandir raise the funds from which designated amounts go to specific local charitable organizations.
ADVERTISEMENT
Upon completing their walk, the participants were cheered and greeted by their parents and families and the invited guests.
The special guests included Congresswoman Grace Meng, Council Member Sandra Ung, LiveOnNY CEO Leonard Achan, LiveOnNYs Community and Government Affairs Liaison Dunesh Kaur, Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC)Assistant Vice President Cathy Ferrari, FHMC Director of Nursing Maria Smilios, FHMC Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Dr. Gagan Gulati, NYPD Desi Society Trustee Dr. Mariam Singh, NYPD Community Affairs Officer Ares Huang, NYPD Immigrant Outreach Officer Pratik Patel, and others.
In her address, Meng said she had been coming to the walkathons for over ten years, and that she commended the good work done by the Flushing Swaminarayan Mandir. She also praised LiveOnNY as a reliable source of organ procurement, and FHMC for its caring service to patients.
Achan spoke about reaching the community through organizations like the Swaminarayan Mandir, and about the good experience of working with the FHMC.
Ferrari lauded the Swaminarayan Mandir for their support during the pandemic and after. Huang described in detail how the NYPD Community outreach department works and spoke about liaising with the Swaminarayan Mandir.
Other speakers spoke about the benefits of exercises like walking and the good work the Swaminarayan Mandir is doing in the community.
“The idea of the walkathon was given to us by our spiritual guru Pramukh Swami,” Patel said. “Pramukh Swami wanted us to blend in and give back to the local charities, and encouraged us to help other organizations including churches working in the community,” he added.
Annual walkathons are organized by BAPS Charities and temples beginning with the first three walkathons under Pramukh Swami’s guidance in the year 2000 in New York, Edison and Chicago.
BAPS Charities is a 501(c) (3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to caring for individuals, families, and communities. It has organized over 1,000 Walkathons in the last 20 years, benefiting local hospitals, children’s organizations, schools, and specific causes including cancer cure and environmental causes, according to BAPS website.