Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas yesterday marked World Down Syndrome Day for 50 members of Best Buddies Qatar and Shafallah Centre for People with Disabilities. The participating members were aged 4 to 24. They had fun, jovially doing rejuvenating stretching, playing beach football and drawing and colouring outdoors during the occasion. They also shared joyful socialising and creating memorable moments together.
Amal bint Abdullatif al-Mannai, Acting Director of Shafallah Center for People with Disabilities, said, “Annually, World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21, referring to its adoption and declaration by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. In this context, Qatar seeks to empower people with disabilities and offer all the facilities promoting their achievement for a decent independent life. Shafallah Center strives to keep up with the vision of Qatar for persons with disabilities. We believe in the importance of human rights and support of the potential of people with disabilities through different occasions and activates.”
Laalei Abu Alfain, Executive Director of Best Buddies Qatar, said, “Best Buddies Qatar and Shafallah Center for People with Disabilities jointly mark World Down Syndrome Day to embrace the value and importance of the matters related to people with Down Syndrome. I would like to pay tribute to the distinguished theme elaborated by the United Nations this year named as ‘My Voice – My Community’, which emphasises the importance of people with Down Syndrome to participate in the society and to become its asset. Best Buddies Qatar provides social integration of people with disabilities, including people with Down Syndrome, to encourage them with their communicational, emotional, educational rights.”
She added, “Accordingly, to Qatar Vision 2030, Best Buddies Qatar contributes to the dedication and support of people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities and consolidates social responsibility concepts, to achieve and facilitate the comprehensive development of Qatar community. Best Buddies Qatar expresses its high appreciation and gratitude to Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas for their initiative to organise a lot of fun activities and support the organisation’s mission to enhance life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through social integration of the occasion of the special day.”
Chris K. Franzen, General Manager of Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas, said, “We are delighted to be able to support Best Buddies Qatar and the Shafallah Center for World Down Syndrome Day. The work they do to enhance the lives of those with developmental and intellectual disabilities is admirable, and I hope that the event at Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas will strengthen the social integration of these young people. Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt Thrive, begins at home – in the neighbourhoods and communities we serve. We embrace every opportunity to support such initiatives within the community and we hope this event will encourage the continuation of our flourishing partnership.”
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