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INTERNATIONAL. Earlier this month, travel retail came together as never before to participate in a collective fund-raising effort for industry charity Hand in Hand for Haiti.
From 4-7 March, runners from over 100 teams ran the inaugural Moodie Multi-National Marathon, sponsored by M&€™s. Each team member ran/walked one-sixth of a marathon (7.03km), in locations that spanned all corners of the globe. The sponsorship money raised will go towards building a world-class school in Saint Marc, Haiti, as part of the response to the tragic January 2010 earthquake.
The generous response of the industry – in terms of time, effort and funds raised – has been truly humbling; and we extend our huge and heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, as a runner, a sponsor, or both.
To date, US$160,946 has been raised for the cause directly through the official marathon website. A number of significant donations have also been made directly to wwwHandinHandforHaiti.com, bringing the estimated tally to around US$175,000.
Moreover, that money was raised in some style. Teams ran in fancy dress; they ran in sunshine and rain; in the heat and the cold; at airports; on treadmills, on beaches (and in one case, on a Formula 1 track). Many ran together, some ran alone. Some struggled, some sprinted, but everyone smiled. And each and every participant has made a real difference, contributing to a project that will, over time, give thousands of children in Haiti the chance of a brighter future. We are indebted to you all, and thank you once again for your phenomenal support.
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The EL Beauty Globetrotters ran their Marathon on the East Coast Parkway in Singapore |
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The team – which raised a magnificent US$4,865 – was supported by cheerleaders, photographers and family members |
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The ADAC “˜Shop Dine Unwind’ team was joined by members of DFS Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina F1 circuit |
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The ADAC “˜Shop Dine Unwind’ team alone raised more than US$7500 |
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Heartbeat for Haiti, represented by DFS Singapore (Chai Chee) WW Tax / Corporate Reporting / Group Financial Control |
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Christine Mazy of the Glorious WIT for Haiti team braved her Marathon leg in the freezing Bois de Boulogne |
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Virginie Cordero and Zoila Andonie of Glorious WIT For Haiti cover their 7.03km along Miami’s South Beach |
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Liliana Sobredo completes Glorious WIT for Haiti’s Marathon in sunny but windswept Punta del Este |
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Towering achievement: The Lagardère Services HQ team in Paris |
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The ‘M&M’s Runners’ team, including Mars International Travel Retail General Manager Jack Tabbers (right), ran around the Mars chocolate factory in Veghel, The Netherlands 4.5 times, buoyed by the aromas of of M&M’s production. They were supported by the remainder of the International Travel Retail team, along with red and yellow M&M’s characters as cheer leaders, with pom poms, streamers and loud horns to inspire the participants. Team Captain Lynsey Eades commented: “It was a really fun team event and great to be able to participate in such a worthwhile charitable cause. |
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The Altus Group’s ‘Kokua for Haiti’ team (above) completes the distance in appropriately Hawaiian style (below) |
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DFS Australia (Sydney) with the youngest participant to date – Madison Brown at 8 months old, who clocked 1 hr 3 mins |
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The Sydney Slickers incorporated the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge on their grueling 7km route |
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The entire Jonathan Holland & Associates team out in force to support the Asian Tigers’ training run in Bintan, Indonesia |
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(Left) Anita Li at Hong Kong’s Golden Bauhinia Square; (Right) Eleen Holland scaring off the real tigers in Kuala Lumpur | |
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(Left) Ashish Vyas on a royal run near the Presidential Palace in Delhi, India; behind him is the iconic India Gate; (Right) Grace Moon braves sub-zero temperatures in Seoul on her run near Incheon International Airport | |
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(Left) Pearlina Tay backed by the magnificent Singapore skyline featuring the Marina Bay Sands; (Right) Singapore-based Englishman Jonathan Holland going truly international as he takes his running shoes to Bangkok, Thailand | |
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DFS Chairman and CEO Ed Brennan leads the company’s extraordinary legion of runners and walkers in Hong Kong |
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The TFWA Flying Team, featuring TFWA MD Alain Maingreaud, recorded a very respectable total team time of 4hr 13mins |
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The triumphant Relay France team take a break in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris |
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The CTC-ARI team at Larnaca fully embraced the marathon effort and have even stretched to running in traditional attire |
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From airside to trackside: Passengers enjoy a CTC-ARI Olympians’ performance |
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SSP team runs for Haiti at the home of aviation, posing post-run in their chefs’ whites next to Concorde |
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Before and after: The Moodie in Motion team captain Rebecca Mann goes the distance – powered by a MAC/Wonder Woman T-shirt – in the exotic environs of Essex, England. The time? 39.48 | |
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Dubai Duty Free Financial Controller Bernard Creed completes his leg in New Orleans, US |
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Dubai Duty Free’s Manager – Retail Sales Michael Schmidt completes a smart 33.54 time in Al Ain |
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LS Travel Retail ASPAC’s Grant Fleming completes his leg of the run in Wan Chai, Hong Kong |
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The Suisse International team, featuring ACI staff, braves 4 degree temperatures in Geneva | |
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Dubai Duty Free’s Agnes Garma finished her run at Jumeirah Beach in 55 minutes |
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More happy images from the DFS day in Hong Kong |
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A sea of blue descends upon East Coast Park as runners from DFS Singapore do their warm-up exercises by the beach |
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A solid finish by the Singapore Slingers team, led by DFS Managing Director South East Asia and the Middle East Craig McKenna (back row, second from right); the team also produced one of the fastest runners of the day |
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A spontaneous show of effort from DFS Changi Airport General Manager Keith Tam (third from left) and his team from Changi Airport, the Hip Hop Bunnies, who later won ‘The Most Creative Team’ award for their bunny costumes |
