Celebrating seven years of its activism, Dehradun based students' activist group Making a Difference by Being the Difference (MAD), revealed that it is expecting over 8000 Doonites to participate in this year's cross country race. Pointing out that this is the seventh annual day festival to be celebrated by MAD, the group members underlined that this year's foundation day festival was different in many aspects. Firstly, for the first time ever, the group is convening a six-day festival to mark the occasion between June 3 and 8. like every year the theme for the Madathon has been kept to generate awareness about the dying streams of the Doon valley. The first event that is the cross country race has been scheduled for June 3. This one event is expected to be unique in many ways as the group is pitching it's race event as a zero-waste event. No plastic bottles or disposable glasses will be used to provide water to runners. Instead, the group will be keeping six water filling stations throughout the route and serve water only in steel glasses. To get adequate amount of steel glasses volunteers of the group have reached out to the Gurudwara of the city, many of which have already given a positive response. MAD is also sourcing some other steel glasses from its own members and other Doonites. Secondly, no publicity or informational material is being printed on plastic flex for this event. Instead, the group is preparing a series of its banners on canvas. The group’s members are painting messages of conservation on the canvas on their own. Thirdly, in line with the ideals of pocket money funding of the group, MAD is not looking for caterers to cater to the refreshment needs of the expected 8000 participants. Instead, one of MAD's member Satvik Nijhon's mother has volunteered to prepare sandwiches for all participants. Taking inspiration from her, kinfolks of some other group members volunteered and made a group of their own who will meet on June 2 and prepare the sandwiches overnight for the participants.
Apart from these features of the cross country race on June 4, MAD has lined up two walks along the Rispana-Bindal rivers. On June 5 the group will also celebrate world environment day by hosting a drawing and painting competition, a graffiti making competition and 'best out of waste' competition. On June 6, the group will host an open exhibition on the rivers of Dehradun and vintage Dehradun at the World Integrity Centre (WIC) while on the following day the group’s annual cultural event will be held.
MAD has appealed Doonites to participate in the events, beginning from the cross country race from Parade Ground.