Sharjah: A unique 24-hour cancer walk event is coming to the UAE for the first time, allowing volunteers from the UAE community to come together to raise funds for cancer patients, it was announced on Tuesday.
The Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP) announced that it would be hosting the regions first Relay For Life — considered the largest fundraising event for cancer patients in the world — to involve the community in their mission to raise awareness on cancer and support the treatment of cancer patients.
The moving overnight experience, which will be hosted in the American University of Sharjah on November 17 and 18, will include team walks, campsites for teams to do their fundraising campaigns and other recreational activities for families, organisers said.
“This is one of the latest humanitarian initiatives the FoCP has launched to support cancer patients in the UAE morally and financially. It will be the Mena region’s first ever Relay for Life in collaboration with the American Cancer Society,” said Sawsan Jafar, Chairperson of FoCP’s Board of Directors.
The walkathon will help promote community solidarity with cancer patients and is open for entities and individuals, old and young, to participate, Jafar added.
Relay for Life would raise funds for cancer patients in the UAE through two main ways; the first being through the registration fee for participation in the challenge and the second through the individual “Relayers” and team fundraising activities, with all proceeds going towards supporting cancer patients and their families.
“The walk is a fight back against the disease, it is to celebrate survivors, remember those who we lost and support those who have cancer,” she said.
Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General FoCP, said the event is expected to attract more than 5,000 people in the UAE, and that it was a good way to encourage people and private entities to do more volunteering work in 2017, which was announced as the year of giving.
“This community-based initiative takes place in six continents in more than 29 countries since 1985. To date, more than $5 billion [Dh18.3 billion] has been raised from the event for cancer patients and cancer research,” she said.
During the event, team members will be taking turns walking around a 400-metre track for 24 hours. Each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps, explained Bader Al Jaedi, Events and logistics executive, FoCP.
“Each team sets up a themed campsite at the event and continues their fundraising efforts by collecting donations for food, goods, games, and activities. This money will count towards their overall team fundraising goal,” he said.
The event will also feature a series of sporting activities too, he added. “We encourage people to register as teams at the soonest. Once they do, we will communicate with them on how they can start their online fundraising campaign through the Just Giving portal to raise funds before the start of the event.”
FoCP has helped treat 3,700 cancer patients in the UAE since it was founded in 1999, according to Jafar. The not-for-profit organisation has provided medical treatment and financial and moral support to the patients.
Those wishing to participate in the UAE Relay for Life can visit the website: www.focp.ae/relayforlife.
Box:
What: UAE Relay for Life
Where: Sharjah at the American University of Sharjah
When: November 17-18
Ticket Prices: Adults: Dh100 / Children below 14: Dh60
