Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) has partnered with The Reach Campaign and National Health Insurance Company – Daman to organize the ‘Reaching the Last Mile’ Race. The run will be held on the 19th of February at 7:30 am at Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi. 

Proceeds from the run will be allocated to The Reach Campaign, which is an awareness and fundraising initiative that aims to end two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

Over 200 million people worldwide require treatment for river blindness, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Like many NTDs, river blindness and lymphatic filariasis disproportionately affect the world’s poorest people, trapping families in cycles of poverty as when adults suffer from river blindness, children are often taken out of school to support their care.

Targeting residents of all ages and fitness levels, the 1k, 3k, 5k and 10k runs are expected to bring together over 500 members of the community to contribute to the elimination these diseases.

His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is very proud to partner with The Reach Campaign, and to enjoy the support of Daman on the ‘Reaching the Last Mile’ charity run. These events are a great way for families and the wider community to not only appreciate the advantages of a healthier lifestyle, but more importantly, to come together for a good cause. We must always be grateful for our good health and for the opportunity to live in a country where such diseases are not prevalent. However, it is our responsibility, as citizens of the world, to help the less fortunate and encourage future generations to follow our example. This is what we hope to achieve through the upcoming event”.

Tala Al Ramahi, Acting Managing Director for The Reach Campaign, added: “I am always inspired by the support for The Reach Campaign among leading organisations in Abu Dhabi. Thanks to our partners Abu Dhabi Sports Council and National Insurance Company – Daman, the Reaching the Last Mile race allows the local community to come together to contribute to our efforts to end NTDs. Strategic collaborations such as this exemplify the values of our founding father, Sheikh Zayed, of giving and generosity and emphasize that everyone has the power to make a difference. The event will provide an ideal platform to raise awareness of our efforts while encouraging the public to donate to our cause in any way that they can.”

Participants are also encouraged to download the popular fitness app, STEPPI, ahead of the race to join the recently launched ‘25 Days To Transform 250 Thousand Lives’ challenge. The challenge was organised by The Reach Campaign in collaboration with Daman and STEPPI. The app counts users’ daily steps, and Daman has pledged to donate AED500,000 to campaign once all users have collectively achieved a milestone of 250 million steps.

All proceeds from The Reach Campaign will benefit the Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF), aiming to eliminate the two diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Launched in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with support from several organisations including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The ELMA Philanthropies. RLMF is a 10-year, USD 100 million initiative hosted by the END Fund – the leading philanthropic vehicle dedicated to ending NTDs.

Members of the public are invited to participate in the run. to register please visit https://www.adsc.ae/en/events/reaching-the-last-mile/. The entry fee for the race is AED 57.75 and includes a branded T-shirt, winners’ ceremony, medals for the winners, and individual photos which will be shared with all participants. 

As per the Abu Dhabi city guidelines, participants will require a green status on the Hosn app, in addition to a negative PCR result within 96 hours. 

To make a direct contribution to The Reach Campaign, text the word GIVE to 2424 or visit https://reachtheend.org/.