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Heavy lifting: Teams competed to pull a 747 National Air Cargo plane the furthest distance |
UAE. Employees of Dubai Airports and its partners have taken part in an airplane pulling contest to raise funds for blindness prevention and treatment charity Orbis.
A total of 10 teams from across the airport community competed to pull a 747 National Air Cargo plane the furthest distance. The teams also contributed AED 1,000 (US$272) each as a donation to Orbis via Red Crescent.
The event was held as part of the “˜Your Sight, Our Happiness’ initiative to raise funds for Orbis, a charity also known for its flying eye hospital – the world’s only accredited ophthalmic training hospital aboard a MD-11 airplane.
Sporting contests where participants played blindfolded were also held to raise awareness about the daily challenges faced by those with visual impairments.
A charity luncheon was sponsored by Emirates Flight Catering, with corporate entities able to donate by purchasing tables for AED 10,000 (US$2,722). Individuals attending the event were offered the opportunity to sponsor cataract eye surgeries by buying donation coupons worth AED40 (US$11) per surgery.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths commented: “The plane pulling contest was the highlight event of the day and what it demonstrated was that when people that are passionate about a cause come together, they can achieve the seemingly impossible.
“It was very heartening to see the entire airport community getting together to support a noble cause and help raise awareness and funds for an organisation that spreads joy and wellbeing to communities in remote corners of the world.
“The event is in line with our commitment and efforts to enhance the wellbeing of employees at Dubai Airports and the airport community as a whole, and the society at large.”
The charity event was supported with contributions from the following organisations: mojo, Al Naboodah, General Director of Residency & Foreigner Affairs, National Air Cargo, Faberge Events, Go Fit UAE Gym, Badamli, Gearhouse, Joseph Graphics, Joseph Advertisers, London Diary, Glenda Biscuits, AB Marketing, Friesland Diary (Rainbow), Dubai Customs, dnata, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai World Trade Centre, Valtrans, Al Fajer, Emirates Flight Catering, Smith Detection, Dubai Duty Free, Big Bear, PowerPrint, Anglo Arabian Healthcare, AXA Insurance, Magrabi Eye Hospital, Airlink, Allied Transport Company, Verger Delporte, Intercare, Geodis, Siemens, Serco, Kuehne + Nagel LLC, Viking Gulf, G4S (MIHY), Fedex, Farnek.com, Berkeley Services, EMC, Emrill and du.
