Children with special needs on the fast track

Dubai: More than 200 children from 42 special needs centres across the UAE will assemble at the Dubai Autodrome today for a fun-filled day of activities organised by the Special Needs Awareness Programme.

Mohammad Bin Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE, and 14-times FIA Middle East rally champion, will join a team of other volunteer drivers who will give the children a day to remember by taking them through a series of circuit laps, sprints and auto tests.

He said: "I took part in a similar event last year and it was so good to see the enjoyment on the faces of the children. Events like this not only bring a lot of pleasure to the children and their families but also create more awareness of their needs."

The car clubs are providing more than 100 vehicles for the day, and Sulayem will get behind the wheel of two F1 specification models contributed by Renault - a Renault Clio and a Renault Megane Sport. The Special Needs Awareness Programme (SNAP) was founded by Theresa Gobbara, whose daughter, Randa happens to have Down's Syndrome.

The 'Lap with Snap' event today is just one of a series of year-round activities Theresa organises for persons with special needs.