Caitlin Dillon
The charity
bicycle ride, Road to Awareness – Ride for Education, took place this
morning at Sheraton Grand Doha. Almost 300 people gathered at 6am to register
for the event, before embarking on either a 20 or 40km bike ride around the
city, which raised QAR 43,523 for the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation.
Hosted in
partnership with Marriott hotels, the event also featured a children’s
colouring corner, complimentary refreshments, a spin class and a prize raffle.
Marriott
International’s Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East, Guido De Wilde,
began the Road to Awareness campaign 11 years ago, and he explained the journey
the initiative has been on since then, “We raised over $9 million for UNICEF in
the first nine years. Last year we started supporting charities in different
countries. And we decided to raise funds for the Education Above All
Foundation, because first of all it plays very well into the spirit of Road to
Awareness, namely educating, providing children that live in poor, dangerous and
marginalised areas around the world, providing them with a better future,
provide them with an education, which automatically leads to a better future.” He
stated, adding, “This initiative, this charity, is fantastic, it is
game-changing in the world, it’s making a difference every day in the lives of
children, and that is why we are supporting Education Above All.”
Tarek Sherif,
a spinning instructor in Doha, told us about his motivations for getting involved
in this morning’s event. “I was very eager and very insistent on taking part in
it and contributing to organising it.” He added, “It was a great day to go and exercise
outside, and it’s a good chance to gather everyone and to have them all working
out together for an important cause, which is education. Many children around
the word are deprived of education and for us to raise awareness and to
contribute to that, I think that’s quite imperative.”
And, Eid Al
Bordini, one of the many participants in the charity event, was full of praise
for those responsible for the day. “The organisers put all of their effort into
making sure it was a successful event, and it really was.” Struck by the sheer
number of people from around the globe who turned up in support, he said, “It
was a gathering of males, females, all different nationalities. The purpose of
this is to make a donation to education, so to have both that and riding a bicycle
around the beautiful scenery of Doha, it was a very nice experience.”