Chandigarh, Dec 9 : More than 100 residents of this union territory took part in a cancer awareness walkathon Wednesday to sensitise the masses about the perilous disease of cancer.

The walkathon with a theme of 'know cancer to conquer it' was organised by a city-based NGO Cancer Sahayata Sahyog.

Ace shooter and Olympian Abhinav Bindra flagged off the rally from hotel Taj and it culminated at Sector 17, the commercial hub of Chandigarh, after covering a distance of around 2 km.

"This walkathon aims at creating awareness about cancer disease and to mobilise broad-based community support for this important social cause," said Renu Saigal, president of Cancer Sahayata Sahyog, and herself a cancer survivor.

People of all age groups from different professions like doctors, teachers, social workers, students and long-term cancer survivors took part in the walkathon.

Various dignitaries, who participated in the walkathon, included Jean Rodrigues, wife of the Chandigarh administrator, Panjab University vice-chancellor R. C. Sobti, director of Government Medical College and Hospital Raj Bahadur and Savita Bhatti, wife of famous comedian Jaspal Bhatti.

After the culmination of the walk, all the participants took a pledge to fully support cancer awareness in society.(IANS)