Hundreds run for charity marathon in Sharjah

 American University of Sharjah (AUS) held its annual charity mini-marathon on Saturday, March 5, at University City.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS, the event was organised by the Community Services Department of the university’s Office of Student Affairs.

“The theme of this year’s charity mini-marathon was ‘AUS Against Poverty’ in support of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) millennium goal of poverty eradication. The event was supported by the Sharjah Sports Council, Sharjah Charity International, Leader Sports and UNDP,” said Dr Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at AUS.

According to Dr Al Shehhi, new activities were added to this year’s event to create a festive atmosphere. Added activities included a photo gallery about world poverty; an “Against Poverty” canvas, on which participants placed their hand prints in support of poverty eradication; children’s entertainment; henna artists; and music provided by a DJ.

More than 1,500 people from 50 private organizations and educational institutions participated in the mini-marathon. The event was attended by Ahmed Al Fardan, Secretary General of the Sharjah Sports Council; Salem Al Qaseer, Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs at AUS; Solaiman Al-Rifai, Programme Analyst at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the UAE; and Munketh Taha, Director of Student Development and Organisations at AUS.

The mini-marathon winners were Mohammed Abd Al Jabbar for the boys under 12 category; Hissa Mohammed for girls under 12; Rabie Al Khatib for boys 12–17 years old; Hanan Ibrahim for girls 12–17; Ali Bu Jad for men 18-35, Engie Hussein for women 18–35; Ahmed Thabet for men 34–45; Zofia Reid for women 34–45; Ashraf Khalaf for men over 45; and Anna-Liisa Haverila for women over 45. All winners were presented with trophies.

“We continue to hold the charity mini-marathon in the years to come, since it not only brings people together from all over the UAE but it also encourages people to run for a noble cause,” said Dr Al Shehhi.