FOCP’S ‘Relay for Life’ walkathon first-of-its-kind in Mena region
SHARJAH: As the Middle East prepares to hold its irst Relay for Life cancer fundraiser on Nov 17 and 18 at the American University of Sharjah, organisers at the Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) announced the support of a cross-section of public and private sector entities, united in the ight against cancer.
Since its launch in the USA in 1985, Relay for Life, the 24-hour walkathon held worldwide, has mobilised communities to support cancer patients and raised over Dhs18 billion for the cause.
Following Sharjah’s announcement that it would host Relay for Life in association with the American Cancer Society last April, numerous organisations have come forward to support the event and alleviate the plight of cancer sufferers.
Crescent Petroleum and Bank of Sharjah are Relay for Life’s Platinum Partners while Petrofac is the Gold Partner. Sawsan Jafar, Chairperson of FOCP Board of Directors, said that the generosity and eagerness of partners to engage in the irst Relay for Life in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) illustrated the support of the wider UAE community towards the cause.
“The partnership from such a broad section of the business community and government entities relects the desire to come together for a common cause that affects so many people across the world,” commented Jafar.“these brands are great ambassadors for the walkathon and through their respective ields they reach an enormous audience.”
She added, “As hosts of the irst Relay for Life in the Mena region, we will ensure that the event lives up to its international reputation as one of the most important fundraising and awareness drives in the ight against cancer and its message that early detection leads to the most effective form of treatment. It is a universal message to every one of us that many forms of cancer are not incurable.”
The event has rallied partners across multiple sectors of the economy, including Venue Partner, American University of Sharjah; Bronze Partner, RTS Investment Group; sustainability Partner, Bee’ah; Water Partner, Mai Dubai;media Partner, Motivate; Radio Partner, Arabian Radio Network; Music Partner, The Sound Gaarden; Footwear Partner, Sketchers; Broadcast Partner, B4U PLUS; Security Partner, G4S; Exchange Partner, UAE Exchange; and Outdoor Media, Al Shuala Media.
Teams of up to 20 people can participate at the walkathon. The registration fee, which covers event admission and a T-shirt, is Dhs100 for adults and Dhs60 for children under 13. An Dhs250 package is designed for families of two adults and two children under, with Dhs40 charged for each additional child. To Register go to http://focp.ae/relayforlifeuae/ participate-form/.