The Pink Caravan Ride (PCR) 2016 edition will see jockeys from all around the world riding together across the UAE for a unified cause, which is to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection. The groups of jockeys are supporting the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness drive by Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FoCP) that is taking place from March 7-17, where they will make several stops along the way spreading PCR’s message of breast cancer awareness.This year’s ride has an eclectic range of riders, a mix of pros and amateurs, from around the world. Globally renowned jockeys such as Tadgh O’Shea and Patrick Dobbs will spread Pink Caravan’s message as soldiers of pink hope, which is the slogan for the 2016 edition of the ride. Riders from The Darley International Student Program, a program launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum,Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in 2003 to recruit and develop future leaders from the world for the Thoroughbred industry, are also a part of the Pink Caravan’s cohort of riders this year.
Pink Caravan Riders - Testimonials
Nader Nasser, an Egyptian-Australian student of Bachelor of Telecommunication Engineering, has been volunteering as a Pink Caravan rider for four years. He’s participating again this year because he thinks “It is a very profound and unique way of spreading an important message”. He said, “Every second counts and prevention is better than cure”. He quotes John Bunyan, who was an English writer and Baptist preacher, and says, “you have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you". Sarah Sanders, an IT Consultant from the UK, is returning as a rider this year because she has a “soft spot” for supporting breast cancer awareness. She joined the Pink Caravan’s team of riders for the first time last year and is volunteering again as a rider to combine her love for horses with her enthusiasm to support the cause.
“My family has a history of breast cancer and I also lost my mother to it,” she says. “I have a soft spot for supporting breast cancer initiative especially those that create awareness about early detection. Since my mum’s diagnosis, I have participated in many such events including the London Marathon to raise funds for cancer research”, Sands said.Sands continued, “I’m pleased to be returning this year to Dubai and as a support rider on a busman’s holiday,” she says. Sanders is also looking forward to catching up with the international friends she made last year and “all in the name of a great cause”. German Pauline Dagmar, an author and management trainer, was a first-time rider with Pink Caravan in 2015 and she’s back to join the team because she wants “to encourage as many people as possible to go and get themselves tested for breast cancer and take care of their health”.
Pink Caravan Jockeys
Jockeys are central in spreading the Pink Caravan’s message of breast cancer awareness and it is through their dedication to the cause that PCR has succeeded in dispelling myths surrounding breast cancer and encouraged thousands of women and men to undergo early detection examinations.Cancer is the third leading cause of deaths in the UAE and breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. The Pink Caravan ride has so far detected 28 cases of breast cancer, 27 females and one male, so the initiative is proving to be effective at detecting a potentially life threatening condition early and offering people a better chance of survival. The Pink Caravan Ride, to date, has travelled over 1,240 km across the seven emirates, with over 350 riders, over 500 volunteers and 410 medical clinics offering breast cancer detection examinations for 36,332 people, including 7,873 men. The Pink Caravan Ride has also visited 87 schools delivering educational sessions and lectures about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.
The Pink Caravan Ride is a pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative launched in 2011 by Friends of Cancer patients (FoCP) on its 10th anniversary to further the work of the FoCP. It was set up under the "KASHF" program, which aims to promote awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate, melanoma, colon cancer and childhood cancer. The initiative was launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and under the directive of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society, International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC. The Pink Caravan seeks to dispel misconceptions surrounding breast cancer and early detection, while offering free breast cancer examinations to all across the country, both Emiratis and expatriates. It also aims to unify efforts to fight breast cancer and promote the culture of voluntarism and charitable work.