Dubai: UAE-based children with Down's syndrome took part in a special sports day on Wednesday.
The event, held at the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs, took place to mark World Down's Syndrome Day (WDSD) tomorrow.
Children from Al Noor, the Al Ain Hope Centre and the Abu Dhabi Special Care Centre participated in a series of races before performing a drill routine on stage.
Big smiles
Jameela Jamal, Head of Senior Boys at the School and the main Coordinator of the Down's Interest Group, said: "It was an excellent event and we really appreciate the schools in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi bringing their kids here for the day. They all had big smiles on their faces and that was great to see."
Dubai-based Leader Sport donated trophies and medals for the occasion. Eisa Saadeh, Leader Sport's Administration Manager, said: "It feels good to be involved in an event like this and we are more than happy to play our part."
The Al Noor centre in Al Barsha officially opened on May 13 last year after Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain obtained the consent of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to fund the facility.
Tushara Abeysuriya, Fundraising Executive at Al Noor, said: "The new centre is fully equipped with purpose-built facilities and caters for 300 children. We have a lot of people who support us, but the daily running of the centre is funded through various projects, including greetings cards and calendars. We recently held a funfair that raised an amazing Dh400,000."
