The Qatar Sandstormers
Qatar Airways is supporting a team of local cyclists - the Qatar Sandstormers - by flying them to France to take part in the 2013 Global Biking Initiative Charity Ride in Europe from June 30 to July 6.
The team, partnering with the Sheikh Eid Charity Foundation, will cycle from Paris (France) to Dusseldorf (Germany) during the one-week event, covering 650km to raise awareness and funds to support their cause.
The Qatar Sandstormers, a team of six cyclists, will raise money for the Beitak Beiti Initiative to support more than 200 poor and disadvantaged families in Qatar by helping them buy domestic necessities such as refrigerators, airconditioners and safe cooking stoves.
The international biking event brings together teams from around the world to help raise funds for various global charities. It has seen 900 cyclists from more than 20 countries take part since its inception.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said the airline was proud to see local sports enthusiasts competing internationally.
“Qatar continues to nurture and produce sportspeople dedicated to competing on the world stage and developing in their chosen field,” he said. “It’s even more heartening to see some of our local athletes competing overseas for charity to support a very worthy cause back home. Qatar Airways remains proud of its long tradition of supporting local sportspeople and major sporting events and we all wish the Sandstormers the very best.”
The Qatar Sandstormers, led by local cyclist Marouf Mahmoud, aims to raise QR100,000 for the Beitak Beiti Initiative. “I am proud of my team’s achievements this year and would like to thank all the companies and individuals who have made it possible to accomplish such success,” said Mahmoud. “We have reached three important milestones in 2013 – we now have two Qatari nationals on the team, our partnership with Sheikh Eid Charity Foundation makes us more deep-rooted to support beneficiaries in Qatar and we are close to achieving our ambitious goal of raising QR100,000.”
In 2012, the Qatar Sandstormers raised QR36,000 to fund scholarships, allowing marginalised and disadvantaged students in Kailali (Nepal), a remote rural area regularly affected by flooding, to continue with their secondary education.
The Global Biking Initiative was established in 2009 by Vodafone employees worldwide with the goal of allowing individual groups to raise funds for their nominated charities by organising long-distance cycling events across the globe.