Dubai: The “A Step for Life” sports initiative has been introduced by the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) and Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in cooperation with Plan B Group.
The initiative’s goal is to get more people involved in charitable work and to make a connection between sport and humanitarian endeavours by getting people to walk for the Al Jalila Foundation and converting their steps into money.
The initiative’s specific details were unveiled at a press conference held at the DSC headquarters by Mr. Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of DSC, and Mr. Ahmed Darweesh Al Muhairi, CEO of IACAD, in the presence of Mr. Naser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of DSC, Mr. Saeed Ali Al Ajel, Vice President of the UAE Sports for All Federation, and Mr. Kholoud Salem Al Junaibi, Secretary-General of the Federation, Dr. Aamer Al Zarouni, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, Dr. Harmik Singh, Chairman of Plan B Group, and Mr. Ali Omar, Director of Sports Events Department, DSC, alongside media representatives.
Mr. Saeed Hareb welcomed the attendees and congratulated them on the occasion of Mother’s Day and the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan. “We are pleased to launch a fruitful charitable initiative under title ‘A Step for Life’, in collaboration with IACAD, aiming to boost the culture of the exercise of sport and physical activities and to link the same with charitable work,” Mr. Hareb remarked.
In order to promote the culture of charitable work, the Step for Life project encourages people from all social classes to practise walking and then donate their steps to charitable groups. In this way, users of the Steppi application to track their steps register and take part in the campaign. As part of the project, the Islamic Affairs and Charity Activities will pay $2 to the Al Jalila Foundation for every 1000 steps the participant takes.
A professional trainer will offer free training sessions to the public at 17:00 at the Al Khawaneej Walk Track in the Quranic Park and Kite Beach in two other activities that will be held in a number of neighbourhoods. Al Jalila Foundation-provided mobile clinic vehicles will be on hand to perform routine physicals for members of the public as part of the programme, in addition to paramedics in case of an emergency.