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This lovely lass grazes in the shadow of Mitsubishi
Estate's new Marunouchi Building. |
Office
workers in Tokyo's Marunouchi business district, home to
numerous Mitsubishi companies, jostled around bovines en
route to work this September. Fortunately, the beasts didn't
jostle back. Nor did they leave a mess on the sidewalks.
For the cows in Marunouchi were sculptures. They were part
of the famous Cow Parade. And Mitsubishi Estate, Marunouchi's
biggest office landlord, was a sponsor.
Inaugurated in Zurich in
1998, the cow parade has been progressing around the world
under the management of Cow Parade Holdings Corporation:
Chicago in 1999, New York in 2000, Kansas City and Houston
in 2001, London in 2002. Tokyo's parade opened on September
5 and ran until October 5.
The parade has become the world's largest public
art exhibition. Japanese artists created 64 cows for the
Tokyo event. Equally important about the Cow Parade is its
charitable orientation. The bovines went on auction at the
end of the exhibition, and all of the proceeds went to worthy
causes.
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Readers
might recall some British bicyclists at Mitsubishi Motors'
U.K. distributor who participate in the annual London to
Brighton Cycle ride (Mitsubishi
Monitor, October/November 2002). That's a charitable
event to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. Here's
a contribution from a five-year veteran of the ride at Mitsubishi
Electric UK, John Preston.
I have worked in the Industrial Automation Systems Division
at Mitsubishi Electric UK for nearly 20 years. This June,
I was proud to take part in the annual London to Brighton
Cycle ride for the fifth time.
Heart disease remains the United Kingdom's
largest killer. More than 250,000 people die of heart disease
annually in our nation--more than die from any other cause.
The British Heart Foundation is working to combat heart
disease through advances in research, treatment, and education.
And funds raised in the London to Brighton Cycle ride are
an important source of revenue for the foundation.
The London to Brighton Cycle ride has been
going for more than a quarter-century. It covers almost
60 miles (nearly 100 kilometers) through some of the United
Kingdom's prettiest countryside. About 27,000 people took
part this year, setting off in groups every 30 minutes from
6 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. As a regular participant, I start at
6 a.m., stopping twice on the way for a natural break and
a banana to keep up energy levels.
Downhill compensation
Our last stop is at the 50-mile
point, just before an exhausting climb up a large hill called
Ditchling Beacon. The upgrade continues for 1.5 miles (2.5
kilometers) at an average gradient of 17%. It is punishing
treatment for the legs and lungs, but the remainder of the
route is all down hill. We enjoy barreling down the slope
at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per
hour). Crowds along the road cheer us into Brighton along
the sea front.
This year's ride was my fastest ever. I completed
the 60 miles in 3 hours, 15 minutes, for an average speed
of 18 miles per hour (29 kilometers per hour). Mitsubishi
Electric UK sponsored me with a 500 donation to the British
Heart Foundation. My riding over the past five years has
raised 4,500 for the foundation.
Many thanks to Mitsubishi Electric UK. And
see you again next year!
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