Pink Caravan Ride reaches halfway mark, enters Fujairah

The 10th Pink Caravan Ride (PCR) reached the halfway mark on Sunday successfully taking the message of the importance of regular screenings and early detection of breast cancer to Fujairah. PCR’s 21 km equine route was flagged off at the Fujairah Beach and ended at the Khor Fakkan Hospital, once again resulting in strong community engagement with the residents of the northern emirate.

To the UAE, the Pink Caravan Ride is like an annual carnival of happiness and hope that brings the nation together behind one cause — breast cancer awareness. The continued, seamless and flawless execution of PCR’s daily and multifaceted goals in a different emirate — every day — is ensured by a group of committed unsung heroes who work day and night behind the scenes just to ensure that the Pink Caravan Ride continues to touch lives.

The breast cancer awareness campaign’s indefatigable volunteers literally work around the clock to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved in this physically demanding and logistically complex annual journey.

Hamed Mohammed Al Hamid, for instance, has been part of PCR since its inaugural ride in 2011. He is part of a team of over 100 volunteers in-charge of logistics and medical teams. Together, they ensure that refreshment tents are ready well before every single stop along the ride, and they are never less than 4 – 5. They assist the police departments in every emirate to manage traffic safety, ensuring netither commuters nor the PCR convoy cause disruptions for each other. They cater to the finest details, guaranteeing that nothing falls off PCR’s extensive campaigning schedule.

“We run alongside the riders, coordinate with traffic police on our routes to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the trek because we want to leave good memories behind for people to cherish. It is a very demanding job, but our team is here every year, and willingly, to serve PCR’s noble cause and widen the outreach of the benefits it brings to the community,” said the 38-year-old.

Al Hamid found his soulmate and wife, who is also a volunteer and got married in March 2017, during the annual ride. Their daughter Ameera has been with PCR since she was 8 months old, becoming one of the youngest volunteers UAE’s ever had.

“PCR is our second family; most of us have been with the ride for years. Volunteers dedicate part of their annual leaves to the Pink Caravan. This is how committed we are to this cause. The sense of accomplishment one feels after days of campaigning, after doing our best to raise awareness of all segments of society, and seeing our efforts being responded to as more and more people walk into our clinics for their free check-ups, is incomparable,” added Hamed.

26-year-old Waleed Hussein Al Raisi has been volunteering for 12 years, and has been part of PCR since 2015. He is often seen running to the end of the convoy and racing back to the front to ensure everything is in order. By the end of PCR’s campaigning yesterday, Waleed had taken 35,000 steps coordinating traffic with police and municipality cadres, and also guiding new PCR volunteers.

“Since day 1 of the 2020 PCR, I have walked more than 200,000 steps for my country and my people.  It is imperative to make sure every person on the streets or in cars is safe. It is exhausting at the end of the day, but it brings me comfort and joy knowing that everyone part of this noble campaign is safe.

“Volunteering is part of who I am now and is something that I enjoy immensely. I encourage citizens and residents of the UAE to imbibe the teachings of community service given to us by our elders and the leadership of this country,” said the young public relations professional.

PCR’s medical route on Sunday featured clinics in Khor Fakkan, Al Sharq and Fujairah Hospitals. Another clinic was set up at Lulu Mall in Fujairah, and the mobile clinic was stationed at the Al Siji Primary Health Centre.

The fifth day ended with 600 free screening carried out across the UAE, with 265 women and 166 men being tested in Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, while the fixed clinics across the country on Sunday offered 158 screenings to women and 11 men.