Fujairah’s inaugural Terry Fox Walk/Run this morning was an occasion of fun and festivity as well as raising 30,000AED to fight cancer in the United Arab Emirates.The waterfront was closed to traffic so the event could be run in both directions along the Corniche Road.
Near the Hilton Hotel the registration and refreshment tents were doing brisk business.
Director of Fujairah’s Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Dr Dave Pelham, was the Master of Ceremonies. With runners chafing at the bit, the formalities were brief, as Dr Pelham paid tribute to the organizing committee, the supportive companies and the large band of volunteers.
As Terry Fox was a Canadian, it was fitting that Michael Wooff, the Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner for Canada in the UAE, was present to start the inaugural event, not with a gun blast but with the drop of a blue Terry Fox T-shirt.
The runners were first off the line followers by bladders, cyclists and a large contingent of walkers. Children sitting on shoulders and babies in push chairs completed the run as did a couple of canine competitors.
Shorter routes could be completed by turning at the nearest U-turn and the longest route involved turning at the most distant U-turn and going around the circuit a second time.
The Fujairah skies were hazy and the mercury was climbing high so water stations were a welcome sight.
Chief organizer, Donna Wilson, estimated that 400 people participated in Fujairah’s inaugural Terry Fox Run.
The 30,000AED donated to cancer research in the UAE today was a terrific start and Donna expects that more money will be received in the next two weeks. Further donations may be payable to the ‘Terry Fox Foundation’ at any branch of the Emirates National Bank.
Donna Wilson made special mention of the way the Fujairah support services—including the Police, Ambulance and Takatof volunteers—contributed so cheerfully and obligingly.
Take a Look
Some photos of the participants and the scenery along Fujairah’s Terry Fox Run can be seen in this photo album.
Further
FAQs about the Terry Fox Run in Fujairah, FIF, 23 February 2011.
Your Invitation to the Terry Fox Walk/Run Along the Fujairah Corniche, FIF, 20 February 2011.
Join the 2011 Terry Fox Run in Fujairah for Cancer Research, FIF, 14 February 2011.
Geoff Pound
This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.
Image: Participants at the starting line of Fujairah’s Terry Fox Run.
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