Dubai: For the record, long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie ran the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon for three straight years without achieving what he had set out to.
But Parkinson's-afflicted Alex Flynn will have achieved something by running one million metres and hopefully the Filipino Runners-UAE too will have raised at least Dh40,000 by close of play this Friday.
For the Filipino Runners-UAE, who first called themselves the Zabeel Night Striders, it all started off as a sporting activity as they met twice or thrice a week to run around Zabeel Park or along Dubai Marina to take their minds off work, keep themselves healthy and overcome their loneliness of living away from their families. But, it has now evolved into a social cause and 39 members will take the starter's gun in front of the Hard Rock Cafe not only to achieve personal goals but also to help out their needy countrymen by running a total of 800 kms. The group is composed of ‘veteran' runners and eager beginners. They hope to raise the substantial amount by asking for pledges of Dh50 for every kilometre that they will run from individuals and companies.
Noble cause
Their plan was put into action after they forged a partnership with the UAE chapter of Migrante International late November last year. Migrante International has long been working for the protection of Filipino migrant workers not only in the UAE but in other countries as well. They were instrumental in getting the support of other organisations under FilCom, an umbrella group of Filipino associations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, for the project.
Proceeds of the project will go to Filipino patients in Rashid Hospital who are in dire need of financial assistance, education and training workshops which include skills enhancement and knowing the basic rights of expat workers, and repatriation of distressed migrants staying at the POLO-OWWA Center in Abu Hail, Dubai.
More than a charity run, Yuri Cipriano, chairperson of Migrante-UA, believes that Takbo para kay Kabayan, or Run for my Countrymen "is a clarion call to all Filipino expats to hold similar activities that will uplift the lives of their kababayans (countrymen) in the Middle East."
Cipriano, who will participate in the 10km run, said Takbo para kay Kabayan is a fine example of the Filipino spirit Bayanihan or collective action.
