Doha: As many of Doha’s outdoor daytime activities end during the hot summer months and holy month of Ramadan, Qatar’s only charity cycling team, the Qatar Sandstormers (QSS), in partnership with Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF), organised a Midnight Trail Encounter to raise funds for Sheikh Eid Charity Association’s Beitak Beiti initiative.
Sponsored by Specialised Bicycles, Rayyan Water & Midmac Engineering, the race brought more than 100 sports enthusiasts to the Lusail Race Track’s open field for a mountain biking challenge and midnight trail run.
The amount raised through entry fees helped QSS reach its target of QR200,000 to bring basic comforts to more than 200 under-privileged homes in Qatar.
QSS is a team of 16 amateur cyclists sponsored by Vodafone, Qatar Airways, RasGas and QShield who last week returned from an 850km Budapest-Munich in the Global Biking Initiative ride.
It is the third year QSS represents Qatar in this global cycling event, joined for the first time by teams from the UAE and Jordan.
Marouf Tirad Mahmoud, Captain of Qatar Sandstormers cycling team, said, “Funds raised from this multi-sports charity event will go towards our last stretch for reaching QR200,000 we have pledged for the Beitak Beiti initiative.
“Ramadan is just starting and so it’s a perfect time to encourage night-themed sports events that promote an active lifestyle as well as mixing in a charitable cause in the wake of our holy month.”
QCF’s partnership with the Sandstormers brings about Qatar’s first mountain biking event for charity.
“There’s a large and growing cycling community in Qatar and I’ve seen it reflected in Qatar Sandstormers’ steady development over the past few years.
“We’re pleased to be co-organisers of the event and excited by the strong turnout we have this evening in support of a worthy cause,” said Andrei Fillip, QCF.
Basic necessities provided by Beitak Beiti include refrigerators, air conditioners and safe cooking stoves, distributed to families of all nationalities in Qatar.
Direct donations to the initiative can be made through the association’s website: www.eidcharity.net
The Peninsula
