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UK’s Global Charity Run Wins Abu Dhabi Fans
ABU DHABI - British Embassy employees, family members, friends and associates took part in a charity run here on Sunday to raise funds for breast cancer patients and special needs children in the emirate.
- PUBLISHED: Mon 22 Mar 2010, 10:56 PM UPDATED: Thu 18 Jul 2024, 1:39 PM
The Sport Relief Mile run, one of the largest charity events in the UK that went global, was in celebration of the weekend sporting activity held in the UK from March 19-21.
During this period, runs were held across the UK with over half a million people taking part to raise funds to help poor and vulnerable people locally and across the world's poorest countries.
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Following the challenge set by Britain's most admired Olympian and five times Olympic rowing champion, Sir Steve Redgrave, for the first time this year, staff at the British embassies, high commissions and consulates all over the world participated.
British Ambassador to the UAE, Edward Oakden, led the run at the grounds of Emirates Palace hotel. Money raised at Sunday's run will go directly to The Future Centre for Special Needs and the Abu Dhabi Pink Ladies Charity Group. The Future Centre for Special Needs is a non-profit organisation that provides special education and rehabilitation to young individuals with disabilities.
Members of the Pink Ladies have all had their lives touched by cancer, either through a friend or a family member, and wanted to promote awareness and raise funds for Breast Cancer Care.
“We are very proud that we've been able to gather all these people together to run a mile for The Pink Ladies who raise funds for Breast Cancer Care and The Future Centre for children with special needs. We are also very excited that we, in Abu Dhabi, have been able to contribute to something so wide ranging –our colleagues around the world have also been taking part,” said Oakden.
Parpui Shaw, who works at the UK Visa Section commended the initiative. “I don't normally run, but this is for a good cause. I want to support the local run particularly since this will go to the local charity,” she said.
Sport Relief is organised by the British charity, Comic Relief, which since 1985 has raised over half a billion pounds to help vulnerable people in the world's poorest countries.
Every year Comic Relief switches between using comedy and sport to give people an opportunity to raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves.
In the UK Sport Relief has become a fixture in the national calendar with thousands of people taking part in local and national activities across the UK.
olivia@khaleejtimes.com