PINK CONVOY REACHES DUBAI
Residents and citizens of all ages in Dubai came together to participate and support the eighth edition of the Pink Caravan on Friday. The Pink Caravan Ride completed the third day of its week-long tour of the seven emirates. It arrived in Dubai after covering Sharjah and Fujairah.
About 15 riders along with a whole entourage of volunteers, ambassadors, organisers and emergency vehicles started the 6-km ride from the Dubai Water Canal to the Etihad Museum. Apart from the ride, the Dubai event was divided into three sections at three different venues in order to spread awareness to a larger audience.
At the first venue, the event kicked off with adult riders starting to ride on horsebacks from the Dubai Water Canal to Etihad Museum from 9am to 10.45am. At the second venue in Palm Jumeirah, the Pink Regatta saw all participants including riders, volunteers, ambassadors of the ride and cancer survivors take a ride on pink boats around the Palm Dubai area from 1pm to 3pm.
At Al Qudra Lakes, the third venue, games and entertainment were organised for kids and their families from 10am to 6pm. A juniors ride was also organised between 4pm and 6pm in a UAE-shaped enclosed area.
Participating in the pink fervour was the Dubai Fountains at The Dubai Mall that turned pink after every hour.
Badr Aljaaidi, project manager of the Pink Caravan Ride, told Khaleej
Times: “We have about 10-15 new riders every day. Our medical teams are positioned in different locations in Dubai, such as Ibn Battuta Mall, Zaabeel Park and Al Qudra Lakes, giving free screenings and examinations to all.
“Our riders are a mix of men and women to give out our message loud and clear that breast cancer is not only a disease that affects women. Men can also get this disease. Therefore, we seek to spread breast cancer awareness and highlight the importance of early detection through the provision of free medical screenings and expert consultations to members of the community.”
A total of 1,403 people have been screened for breast cancer through the initiative. Hamad Obaid Mohammed, 29, who works at the immigration department, dedicated his weekend to the cause of spreading awareness about the disease. Hamad, also an endurance rider, was one of the 15 riders at the Pink Caravan Ride in Dubai. “This topic is close to my heart as there is someone in my family who is affected by the disease and I want to use my skills to promote awareness about the same. I want to tell people that all it takes to prevent or manage this disease is to get a regular checkup done.”
Another male rider Abdul Wahid Aljeaidi, 42, who has been supporting the Pink Caravan since 2011, said: “It was a very special experience today. I have always driven on Jumeirah road but today for the first time, I was riding a horse on the same lane. This is a great way to get people’s attention and as people looked at us and asked our team what was going on, we distributed pamphlets about breast cancer awareness.”