Dubai Duty Free Takes Up The Cycling Challenge For Charity

As part of Dubai Duty Free’s ongoing Corporate Responsibility programme and as part of its support for the Dubai-based charity organization, Gulf for Good, the operation is rallying behind three of its retail employees who are participating in the Gulf For Good “Great Asian Cycling Challenge”, taking place from 14th - 23rd February 2013 in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The three staff, Robbie Huang, Ariel Sarical and Pravin Chaudry, were selected from a number of Dubai Duty Free employees who volunteered to participate in the cycling challenge. The successful trio has now swapped their uniforms for their cycling kit and helmets to hit the road for the 10-day cycling challenge. The charity drive is to raise funds for the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) which, in conjunction with the local education authority, will fund a new kindergarten facility in the rural Hiep Village in the Dong Thap province of Vietnam.

There are a total of 25 cyclists participating in the challenge and in advance of the trip, Gulf for Good provided all participants with a complete orientation and training progamme, including fitness suggestions as well as clothing and equipment advice.

Commenting on the challenge, Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice Chairman, Colm McLoughlin said: “We are proud that our three staff members are representing Dubai Duty Free in The Great Asian Cycling Challenge 2013. We were delighted to see our staff volunteer for this kind of project and it is great to give them the chance directly raise funds for the Christina Noble Foundation, which is a terrific charity that we have supported for many years.”

The challenge kicks off on Valentine’s at the ancient city of Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon), and will take the cyclists through the heartland of the Mekong Delta on small country roads and along the flat river valley of the Co Chien River. The road, which is strewn with small hills and rice paddies, will take them to the border of Cambodia. The flat, tarmac roads in Cambodia will lead them to the bustling Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. Then, after being transferred by bus to Siem Reap, it’s only 20km to reach the breathtaking Khmer Temple of Angkor Wat, finishing the estimated 450km ride.
During the trip, a day will be set aside for the challengers to visit the charity’s projects in Vietnam and also meet the children of the CNC Foundation.

This is not the first time that Dubai Duty Free’s employees have found themselves involved in exciting Corporate Responsibility projects that are close to the operation’s heart. In February 2012, Dubai Duty Free sponsored two employees to join the 16-day ‘International Antarctic Expedition’ led by the renowned polar explorer and environmentalist, Sir Robert Swan. The trip helped raise awareness of the Antarctic within the organization and created two in-house environmental ambassadors.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Feb 14, 2013

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