Lavasa Women's Drive 2012 - a true celebration of Women Power

Bandra Reclamation Ground in Mumbai was buzzing on February 26, with cheer and excitement since 6 am in the morning as over 2000 women gathered at the venue to participate in the 4th edition of ‘Lavasa Women’s Drive 2012’.

‘Lavasa Women’s Drive’ celebrates the spirit of women in driving seat and who excel in whatever they do. The roar of the charged up women and the revving of their car engines were clear signs that these women were clearly the ‘women of substance‘ - out to celebrate the joy of being a woman, celebrate the spirit, the vibrance and the adventure and yet bring out her softer side with her compassion for a social cause. 

Women young and old decked up their cars with imaginative themes and messages supporting various causes like cancer prevention, saving a girl child, conserving tiger and some more. Families and friends of the participants turned up in large numbers to support them and cheered each and every car at the flag off.

The cars were flagged off by eminent Bollywood celebrities and personalities like Emraan Hashmi, Sophie Chaudhary, Diana Hayden, Chunky Pandey, Mugdha Godse, Amar Upadhyay, Pawan Malhotra, Manav Gohil, Parvathy Omanakuttan and Shreya Kishore. Tanvi Azmi, Bhagyashree, Diana Hayden, Tarana Raja and Simran Kaur Mundi drove the Rosie Cars for promoting awareness about cancer prevention. 

Lavasa Women’s Drive 2012 kicked off this year’s initiative with a series of pre-event workshops, cancer detection camp and a pre-rally party aimed at making the women feel empowered and special. Ganesh Hegde who made Shahrukh Khan dance to his tune in the song ‘Chammak Challo’ taught participants how to shake a leg and perform this foot tapping number. Ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani who has shot leading Bollywood celebrities shared tips and revealed secrets about his techniques with participants. A free Cervical and Breast Cancer Camp for women was conducted at Tata Memorial Hospital & Jaslok Hospital.

Lavasa Women’s Drive 2012 culminated today with women driving down to Lavasa. The participants made it from the hot & sultry Mumbai to the cool picturesque Lavasa following all the rules set by WIAA on the 240 km stretch following the tulip chart provided. The drive was in Time-Distance-Speed format (TDS).

At Lavasa the atmosphere was almost akin to a carnival with a delightfully laid out ‘Chat Street’, activities like tattoo, hair braiding etc. To pamper the women, there were special spa vouchers from our very own Dasvino Town & Country Club, jetski rides from Lakeshore Watersports, a specially created Rudra spa zone and Chambor makeover zone. A host of brands made their day even more special like the Ujjivana counter that makes delightful bags out of recycled plastic waste and discounts on international brands at the Grab the Brand outlet.

Acclaimed actor Emraan Hashmi made a special appearance and addressed the gathering. The heart winning performance of Miang Chang and his band was enjoyed by one and all. The 2000 women who converged truly had a fun day that combined the adventure of driving, the spirit of womanhood and the cause of Cervical Cancer.

Anuradha Paraskar, Sr. Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Lavasa Corporation Limited stated, “We are truly overwhelmed with the fact that Lavasa Women’s Drive is slowly becoming an event in the calendar, a date not to be missed in Mumbai and Pune. This year, we are also launching under the aegis of the Lavasa Women’s Drive, the ‘Women in the Driving Seat’ award that will be launched on 4th March. Here, we will not only be awarding the winners of the drive but also 10 exceptional women who have achieved excellence in their respective fields.”

Lavasa Women’s Drive is supported by Women’s Cancer Initiative Tata Memorial Hospital, conducted by Western India Automobile Association. The Lavasa Women’s Drive will end with the final prize distribution to be held on March 4, 2012 at The Intercontinental Lalit, Andheri (East), Mumbai.