Selected images courtesy of Christine Lyn Panera Espinosa

The early hours of Saturday morning, September 9, 2017, saw dozens of volunteers descend on the Shangri-La Hotel, Doha at 7:00 a.m. for the start of distribution for the 2017 Summer Cool Campaign. Organized by Qatar Volunteers, ILoveQatar.net, and QatarLiving, this annual initiative honours the tireless efforts of Qatar’s blue-collar workers who are building our city from the ground up.

With 50 volunteers made up from members of the community, organizers, and sponsors, teams were divided into four zones ranging from Al Rayyan, West Bay/Dafna, Al Thumama, and the Industrial Area. With 5 vehicles per zone, a total of 29 large cool-boxes filled with 2,000 bottles of water, tetra-packs of juice, and sunblock were distributed to workers.

“Hosting initiatives such as the Summer Cool Campaign is a vital way to build stronger ties between our community and those who are building it,” said Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon, Founder and CEO of the I Love Qatar Network. “We wanted to express our gratitude and appreciation to the workers we met and spoke with, and to see the smiles on their faces was heart-warming. They contribute so much to our country, and if small acts of kindness can change someone’s day – then, collectively, they can also change the world."

The first Summer Cool Campaign was established in 2008 with Qatar Volunteers. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary next year, it has provided assistance to an estimated half a million workers across Qatar during this period.

"The Summer Cool Campaign highlights both the passion of the diverse range of residents of Qatar, and their love for the country and its people,” said Shaun Myburg, Digital Strategist & Content Writer, QatarLiving. “Qatar Living was truly thankful to be involved in such an important day. We look forward to working with ILoveQatar.net, Qatar Volunteers, and the amazing sponsors again, because we know one day of keeping Qatar's workers cool is simply not enough, and we look forward to even bigger initiatives in the future."

Supporting the 2017 Summer Cool Campaign are sponsors Drbak Limousine and Altair IT Solutions, who provided 2,000 assorted tetra-packs of juice and cool-boxes; Wa’hab, who provided 2,000 water bottles; Vichy, who provided 2,000 tubes of sunblock and moisturizer; King Koil Qatar, who printed Cool Campaign-branded T-shirts for all volunteers; and The Shangri-La Hotel, Doha, who provided space for volunteers to pack the boxes, ice for the cool-boxes, breakfast for all volunteers on the morning of distribution, and a post-event lunch for all participants at Sridan Restaurant.

Speaking on behalf of Qatar Volunteers, its Founder, Sayed Ali Zakir Naqvi, expressed appreciation for all who came together to support the campaign: “Our group couldn’t operate without volunteers, sponsors, and online community groups like ILoveQatar.net, and QatarLiving.com. They play a vital role in helping or reaching out to the community, and they’re the local heroes. I want to publicly thank all of them for their support, dedication, and continued hard work in making the Summer Cool Campaign 2017 a great success.”

For more information on the 2017 Summer Cool Campaign and details on upcoming outreach events visit @Qatar Volunteers on Facebook.

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