Doha,April,05:Ooredoo has presented Qatar Red Crescent with proceeds from the company’s first ever marathon. More than 1,200 people participated in the Ooredoo Marathon, which was held in January this year as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. The money generated by the marathon’s entry fees – QR50 for adults and QR30 for children – was donated to Qatar Red Crescent Society at a recent ceremony. The donation would go towards Qatar Red Crescent’s disaster management training camp, said Rashid Saad al-Mohannadi, director of Qatar Red Crescent’s Al Khor branch and director of the disaster management training camp. The Ooredoo Marathon included a half-marathon (21.1km), a 10km race and a 1km fun run for children. Participants came from all walks of life in Qatar and included teams from businesses, educational institutions and athletic clubs. Ooredoo plans to expand the races in 2014 to include a full-length marathon (42.2km) and make it an annual event. Mohamed Alansari, director of field marketing and events at Ooredoo, said: “We thank all the athletes, volunteers and additional participants who made the Ooredoo Marathon a success. The donation to Qatar Red Crescent continues our tradition of being one of the biggest believers in giving back to the community and supporting one of the country’s most important charities. As we make plans to expand the marathon next year, we hope to raise even more money for good causes in Qatar and around the world.” Founded in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent is a humanitarian organisation that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without discrimination or prejudice. Qatar Red Crescent is a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and has more than 1,000 volunteers serving the organisation at the local and international levels. Qatar Red Crescent received a record number of volunteers in the 2011-2012 period. The donation reflects Ooredoo’s CSR strategy, Hand in Hand for Qatar. As part of this, the company provides support for community groups and charities across Qatar under the pillars of social welfare initiatives, sports, healthcare, education and environmental issues. Ooredoo has consistently provided support to Qatar Red Crescent. During the We Are All Sham campaign in the holy month of Ramadan in 2012, the company donated to charities, including Red Crescent, for relief work in Syria. It has also donated vouchers and a portion of proceeds from the auction of easy-to-remember numbers to the charity. Source:Qatar Chronicle

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