The morning of 22nd January 2016 felt like any other weekend, with only a handful of vehicles occupying the otherwise busy streets of Dubai. The atmosphere seemed calm with a hint of laziness, until there came a particular assembly point where, the air on this chilly winter morning was suddenly bustling with endless chatter of thousands of enthusiasts across different age groups, who had gathered for the Dubai Marathon 2016.
Over 37,000 participants, from seasoned professionals to first timers, teenagers to grandparents, adults to children and even pets, were impatiently waiting to embark on their 10kms marathon run. The Xpress Money team too, turned up with a strong contingent of 25 members, comprising 6 different nationalities who were all there to run for a cause.
Xpress Money, for the second consecutive year participated in the Dubai Marathon to pledge its support for a very special cause. As part of its global CSR program, H.O.P.E., the brand has been creating awareness on the exceptional work done by the Special Needs Future Development Center (SNF).
SNF is an organization based in Dubai that diligently works amongst people with special needs. The center helps these young people gain confidence, by enhancing their skills and teaching them to lead independent lives. Depending on the skill set that each adult possesses, SNF also places them in job positions across different industries. Xpress Money has been associated with SNF to create awareness about the center through different initiatives, with the Dubai marathon being the most recent one.
The Xpress Money marathon team had visited the center and interacted with these special people prior to the run. Overwhelmed with the experience, each member of the team vowed to complete every kilometer of the marathon. As promised, each member ran across the 10kms mark, not so much for themselves, but for those special people at the SNF center who deserve to lead normal lives, with a little support and understanding from people of the world, outside of their own.
Xpress Money also released a short, fun video #whatmakesyourun as a prelude to the marathon, in addition to conducting fitness tests for each of the participants, in association with the team’s official medical partner, NMC Hospital – Dubai Investments Park.
