Mumbai, January 5, 2022 (GPN): BookASmile, the charity initiative of India’s leading entertainment destination,  BookMyShow steps into the new year with its #RideToChange  campaign completing its Bicycle Pledge last month. As part of the initiative, BookASmile pledged 500 bicycles to young girls in the Alibaug taluka of Maharashtra in a bid to provide them safer access and opportunity to fulfil their education & all-round learning pursuits. BookASmile has joined hands with Centre for Transforming India (CFTI), an on-ground NGO partner for the execution of this campaign and to ensure all the bicycles reached the girls in the talukas identified.

While Alibaug has always been an attractive tourist destination in the state of Maharashtra, it has since a long time lacked efficient public transportation for local villagers. Children often walk 5-6 kms each way to reach the closest school facility for basic education. This has resulted in frequent school dropouts and girls especially withdrawing from school due to unfavourable waiting hours and the inability to grant time for household responsibilities amongst low income families. While education is still a privilege for the girl child in this country, distant commute and concerns of safety cause further roadblocks in an already bleak situation.

With an aim to address this issue, BookASmile and CFTI came together to support young girls address the first barrier towards a better opportunity at a well-rounded life journey by distributing bicycles in the Alibaug taluka thus facilitating safe commute and supporting education & play. The #RideToChange  initiative also aims to encourage young girls to become future leaders, leading a healthy and fit life.

Speaking on the  #RideToChange  initiative, Farzana Cama Balpande, Head BookASmile said, “Till date, access to education for the girl child remains a challenge, making it a distant reality for many girls across the country. As the country gradually recovers from the pandemic with schools slowly opening their doors to students, we are delighted to have partnered with Centre for Transforming India (CFTI) and support the provision and delivery of bicycles to 500 young girls across Maharashtra to encourage them to pursue their dreams, without restrictions. Through the #RideToChange initiative, we hope to create a positive impact in the lives of young girls and help them unlock their potential,” stated in the press release.

#RideToChange ß Watch this video to know more about the initiative by BookASmile and Centre for Transforming India.

About BookASmil eIndia’s leading entertainment destination BookMyShow launched its charity initiative BookASmile in 2014 with a vision to support special causes and enrich the lives of the less fortunate across India through entertainment-led experiences. BookASmile invests a lot of energies to create an inviting community to ensure that they can be privy to opportunities, by incorporating into their lives, activities and experiences from across genres like Cinema, Sport, Theatre, Music & Arts. The BookASmile initiative has been operational since 2014 and has been integrated within the BookMyShow App and website. With BookMyShow’s vast customer base, the initiative has been raising funds for special causes whereby every consumer can choose to contribute from Re.1/- per ticket. For more information, please visit  www.bookmyshow.com/donation/

About BookMyShow: Launched in 2007, BookMyShow, owned and operated by Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd (founded in 1999), is India’s leading entertainment destination with global operations and the one-stop shop for every entertainment need. The firm is present in over 650 towns and cities in India and works with partners across the industry to provide unmatched entertainment experiences to millions of customers. Over the years, the company has evolved from a purely online ticketing platform for movies across 6,000 plus screens, to end-to-end management of live entertainment events including music concerts, live performances, theatricals, sports and more, all accomplished at par with global standards. Some of the key properties that BookMyShow has brought to its markets over the past few years include U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour, NBA’s debut games in India, Disney’s Aladdin, Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR as also international artists such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber to name a few.

BookMyShow has also built India’s largest organic reviews and ratings engine for movies and has driven technology innovations, such as the m-ticket and Movie Mode, impacting tens of millions of users and the industry at large. With continued support from investors including TPG Growth, Stripes Group, Elevation Capital (Formerly SAIF Partners), Accel and Network18, BookMyShow is invested in providing the best user experience, whether on-ground or online. Demonstrating category leadership, BookMyShow has grown beyond India with operations in UAE, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore amongst others. The Mumbai-headquartered company counts Ticket Green, Eventifier, Masti Tickets and Townscript amongst its key investments in the sector. BookMyShow is also committed to society at large, by way of its charity initiative BookASmile, which provides entertainment experiences to the underprivileged. For more information, please visit  www.bookmyshow.com.