Sharjah: The world’s leading jockeys took part in the Pink Caravan ride today (Sunday) by joining the ride along Palm Jumeriah’s crescent.
The local and international horse racers started their ride from Rixos The Palm, passing through Nasimi Beach at Atlantis The Palm, and finished at the One & Only The Palm.
The group is supporting the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FoCP) that aims to highlight the importance of early detection of breast cancer and help dispel misconceptions about the disease.
Among international jockeys who participated in the ride are Tadhg O’Shea, Richard Mullen, Pat Dobbs, Royston French, Sam Hitchcott, and Paul Hanagan. They also recently participated in a number of popular championships in the UAE, including races in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain, in addition to the Dubai World Cup.
The jockeys made several stops along the way, spreading the message of awareness about breast cancer and encouraging the public to undergo early screening.
“We were honoured and proud to bring Pink Caravan to Palm Jumeirah and encourage residents on the island and in other parts of Dubai to join us in support of this very worthy cause,” said Sanjay Manchanda, CEO of Nakheel.
Nakheel, the developer of Palm Jumeirah, demonstrated its support by hosting the jockeys and the Pink Caravan team in a boat cruise around the island’s waters, and by hosting health checks at the island’s Al Ittihad Park. Mobile clinics continued to see a huge turnout of visitors on March 22, after the sixth day of the nation-wide tour included 470 people — 321 women and 149 men — who were examined. So far, the total number of people screened during the ride is 3,492.
On March 23, free mobile clinics will open from 9am-7pm in three locations in Ajman; Shaikh Khalifa Hospital, Al Manama Healthcare Centre, and Muzaire Healthcare Centre. Emiratis and expatriate residents can benefit from free services offered by these clinics, including early detection breast cancer examinations, mammogram and ultra-sound screenings, as well as guidance on self-examination provided by medical experts accompanying the ride.
A number of CEO’s and executive directors from the public and private sector will also take part in an event called The Day of CEO’s on March 23. The The Pink Caravan Ride will kick off from Burj Khalifa at 9.30am, and arrive at Burj Al Arab at 4pm, after travelling 24km.
