More than 15,000 turn up for Lulu's Sustainability Walkathon

The 8th edition of Lulu Walkathon saw a massive turnout of more than 15,000 residents and visitors coming together for the cause of sustainability.

The annual event was held at Mamzar Park on February 4 with active support from many industries and government stakeholders such as Mastercard, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Sports Council and a host of other sponsors.

The walk which started at 7:30 am had many interesting events and activities to keep the huge participants of all age groups engaged and to spread the awareness about healthy living and sustainable actions.

Speaking at the launch of the event, Salim M A, director of LuLu Group, said: "As part of our ESG initiatives, we look at sustainability as a key pillar of our corporate journey. The aim of this Walkathon is to bring together people from all walks of life to spread awareness about the need to preserve our planet for future generations. The overwhelming response we have here today make us feel proud and happy."

Zumba sessions, fitness activities, healthy contests, recycling activities, etc were the key attractions for the participants and everyone returned home with eco-friendly gifts and souvenirs.

V Nandakumar, director — global marcom of LuLu Group, said: "The UAE has always been the leader in setting new benchmarks in sustainability and we as one of the key stakeholders in this journey are committed to playing our humble role. The enthusiasm of all our partners and the participants have further strengthened our vision to go bigger and better in the years to come."

Omoke Hind, senior VP of Mastercard, the presenting partner of Lulu Walkathon, said: "This is the beginning of a great journey together to achieve collective sustainability goals. We at Mastercard have always been a global leader in organising such community initiatives which spreads the message of environment protection and healthy living. We are excited and proud to partner with LuLu Group for this amazing event today and thank all the residents and leadership of UAE for their support and encouragement."

Khaleej Times was the media partner at Lulu Walkathon. Other key sponsors included Transmed, Al Rawabi, Yellow.ai, Sparklo, Lulu Exchange, Unilever, Tata Soulfood, and Burjeel Holding.

• KT Network