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Cycle
for Charity with Gulf for Good
 Gulf
for Good, the UAE-based charity under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh
Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, successfully completes The Emirates Adventure - a
demanding 5-day cycle ride around the Northern Emirates. The 16 challengers of
eight nationalities and ages ranging from 22 to 56 completed their charity
bike ride on Friday 14th February when they cycled into Dubai for the final
reception and dinner at the Metropolitan Beach Hotel.
The Emirates Adventure was the first
locally held challenge of Gulf for Good with the aim of raising funds for
Sharjah City Humanitarian Services.
The adventure started from the base
of the Hajar Mountains before winding through hills and wadis towards Kalba,
and day 2 on to Dibba where the group experienced a beach camp under the
stars. Day 3, one of the toughest days, took the spectacular winding track
through Wadi Bih. As had been expected most cyclists pushed their bikes up
hill, and enjoyed the freedom and exhilaration of the downs. However,
congratulations are owed to Ravi Chandran who gave an incredible effort and
cycled all the way!
Although the actual cycling is
complete, the work of the challengers is not. Fundraising is still ongoing as
they work towards their individual targets. Fundraising initiatives have
included raffles, organizing a ceilidh, buying a kilometer of the route,
pledges from friends or family, and corporate sponsorship. When asked about
his fundraising, one of the participants, a UAE national, Farhan Bahman said,
"I would like to thank my employer, Citibank, for sponsoring my
participation. It was a challenging ride, but the sense of achievement and the
friendships I gained made me so happy I joined. It has encouraged me to
participate in future challenges of Gulf for Good. My next challenge Inshallah
will be Jordan 'In the Footsteps of Laurence' in May.
What's next?
Gulf for Good recently launched its
next challenge to Jordan "In the Footsteps of Lawrence" which will
take place in early May. Two trips have been organized, the Petra Challenge
from 1st to 9th May and the Seven Pillars Challenge from 8th to 16th May.
The route involves traveling from the
Dead Sea to the Red Sea with 3 days cycling, 3 days hiking and an afternoon of
camel riding from the Seven Pillars of Wisdom to the location of Lawrence's
campsite in the silent red sands. The route passes many ancients sites
including the 'Red Rose City' of Petra, and challengers will experience
magnificent desert landscapes such as Wadi Rum.
The challenge is proving very
popular. Already places are going fast as new challengers sign up for 9 days
of cycling, hiking and camel riding. After their experiences and enjoyment of
the Emirates Adventure, at least half of the participants are now signing up
for more adventures in Jordan. "We only have an allocation of 25 places
per group, half of which have now been booked, and when these are gone we will
not be able to obtain any further places." expressed Challenge Director,
Brian Wilkie.
As always on Gulf for Good
challengers, participants have the opportunity to meet and share experiences
with people they would not usually meet in their daily routines, learn about
each other's background and cultures and make new lasting friendships. Gulf
for Good website is at www.gulf4good.org
Source: Promoseven
PR
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TRADITIONS
AROUND THE WORLD
This
34-year old French-Canadian chanteuse started singing at the age of five
in a club managed by her musician parents, with her elder 13 brothers and
sisters. When she was only 12 she recorded a demo, which impressed manager
Rene Angelil, to the extent that he married her 14 years later! In 1988
Celine Dion participated in the Eurovision Song Contest and won first
prize for the country she represented – Switzerland! In the early 1990s
she started singing in English, and this gave her a wider international
exposure. 
