7EmiratesRun kicks off today in Abu Dhabi to ‘get children back on their feet’
The fourth edition of the 7EmiratesRun kicked off today under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council. The run began at the Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan hotel by Rotana in Abu Dhabi, which organised a number of community fundraising activities leading up to the start of the cross-country event. The 575 kilometre, 12-day charity run is being held in honour of the 44th UAE National Day and will conclude in Dubai on 2 December 2015 and aims to raise AED 777 thousand to ‘get children back on their feet’ through prosthetic support.
Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, said:
“Over the next 12 days runners will demonstrate their endurance by traversing the seven Emirates. We thank them for their commitment and dedication as they use this exceptional sporting endeavour to raise funds for a greater good. This is a wonderful example of how the community can come together to positively impact people’s lives. Last year, we were able to help a number of children walk again with prosthetic support. This year, we hope to be able to extend that support to many more children in the UAE.”
Peter England, CEO of RAKBANK, said:
“We are pleased to be sponsoring the 7Emirates Run which is in line with the Bank’s commitments to supporting people with special needs and encouraging sports events especially for charitable causes. We look forward to working alongside Al Jalila Foundation in their endeavour to improve the lives of children in the UAE.”
This year, for the first time, runners with prosthetic limbs joined the 7EmiratesRun team at the start line. Among the amputee runners was German sprinter, Heinrich Popow, who won a gold medal in the 2012 Paralympics in London for the 100 metres sprint. Popow is the reigning World and European Champion in 100 metres sprint and reigning World Champion in long jump.
The 7EmiratesRun is endorsed by Dubai Sports Council and the title sponsor is RAKBANK. Other major sponsors include Dubai Healthcare City, EGA, German Limbtech and DBAJ.
To support 7EmiratesRun please visit www.7emiratesrun.com and https://www.hopasports.com/7er or call 800-ALJALILA.