Children on horses spread breast cancer awareness

A number of children on Friday skipped the usual amusement parks, gaming arcades and malls to spread awareness about breast cancer.

About 80 young horse riders, starting from two-year-olds came, in with their horses and ponies to participate in the Pink Caravan Ride’s first-ever Children’s Ride, organised in collaboration with Desert Palm Dubai.

A realisation of Pink Caravan’s efforts to sensitise the youth about the risks and remedies of cancer from an early age and enhance their community engagement irrespective of gender, nationality, age or ability, the track for the Children’s Ride was shared by youngsters from Dubai Riding for the Disabled Institute and Al Mamoun Therapy — institutes training special needs children the equestrian arts — along with Freedom Riders, an independent riders’ group who ride for all abilities.

Twelve-year-old Maddie, originally from England, part of the Dubai Riding for the Disabled Institute, rode her pony on one limb, which she lost to cancer six years go. “I just want to ride to celebrate a good cause, and raise money for breast cancer. My neighbours got a horse two years ago and I wanted to try it, so I started riding theirs. I haven’t stopped since,” said bright-eyed Maddie

On being asked about what she knew about breast cancer, she said: “I know that it is dangerous and affects many women.”

“There are so many people here, and it is very helpful indeed because all the money raised at such charity events are used for life-saving research, and spreads a lot of awareness so it is really great. We were at the Hunter Trials this morning and got to know about the Pink Caravan Children’s Ride. We dropped everything else to be here because breast cancer awareness is a great cause and we wanted to be part of it,” said Lea El Tibi and Adele, two young ladies who ride at the stables in Dubai.

Nine-year-old horse rider and golfer Fay El Hajjad got to know about the event from her mother, and spread the word among all her friends. “Someone in the family of a close friend had breast cancer, so I knew a little about it. When my mum told me about this ride, I wanted to sign up. I also told my friends to join, tell their family members and other students at school to participate,” she said.

“I know it took a long time to find a cure for cancer, but now we can cure many cancers. I want people to know all about it,” she added.

The event saw the participation of Pink Caravan Ambassadors Mariam Al Shurafa and Olympia Tabach. Junior Ambassadors, two-and-a-half-year-old Shaikha Hind Bint Mohammad Bin Faisal Al Qasimi and brother four-year-old Shaikh Rashid joined the cause with their horses.

The main event sponsor was Bank of Sharjah.

This event questions existing perceptions about advocacy and leadership — who should and who shouldn’t, who is capable and who is not, and who would be interested and who wouldn’t — and is a big step forward in educating the youth to consider themselves a crucial part of driving community awareness and change, the organisers said.

Themed ‘Seven Years for Seven Emirates’, the 10-day ride is travelling across the seven emirates from March 7 to 17, offering free breast cancer screenings, and raising awareness about the disease by emphasising on the significance of early detection.

The horse riders will set off on Sunday’s journey at 9.30am from Umm Al Quwain Hospital, and travel 19.5km to reach Salt Restaurant in Ajman, where they will end the day’s ride.

Mobile medical clinics will operate across the seven emirates during the 10-day ride. On Sunday, it will offer free breast cancer screenings and other medical check-ups in Al Salama Health Centre, Umm Al Quwain (for women and men) from 9am to 7pm. Those exclusively for women will be available at Umm Al Quwain Hospital from 9am to 7pm, and the Manama Health Centre and Shaikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman from 9am to 7pm.

A number of awareness activities and fund-raising events will be showcased across the seven emirates through the duration of the ride.

To enhance people’s participation and charitable acts in the ‘UAE Year of Giving 2017’, donations for the Pink Caravan of as low as Dh5 can be made by sending an SMS to 2302 (Etisalat or du). Direct fund transfers can be made to Pink Caravan’s Sharjah Islamic Bank account. The global online social platform ‘JustGiving’, or Pink Caravan’s official website, Facebook account [ThePinkCaravan] or its mobile app [Pink Caravan] can also be used for making donations.

Sunday’s ride

9.30am: From Umm Al Quwain Hospital to Salt Restaurant in Ajman [19.5km].

Sunday’s screenings

Umm Al Quwain: Al Salama Health Centre (for women and men), 9am to 7pm.

Umm Al Quwain Hospital exclusively for women, 9am to 7pm.

Ajman: Manama Health Centre and Shaikh Khalifa Hospital, 9am to 7pm

source : gulfnews