Middle East Events Organiser, Tarsus, runs for a good cause

The Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East team is known for its expertise in running events – but this January the team showed it could excel at running races too.
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The Dubai based team entered 26 members in the Dubai Marathon, 10K and 4K races and raised $6,745.92 for Al Jalila Foundation at the same time.

“The team’s commitment to and support of this cause was simply amazing,” said Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, who also took part in the 4K fun run. “Between the 26 people who took part, the in house pep rallies and of course, the post race celebration, we had 100% staff involvement in the Dubai office.”

London based Douglas Emslie, Managing Director of Tarsus Group travelled to Dubai to run the full 42K marathon, a feat he said was difficult in the heat. Other members of Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East took part in the 10K road race and 4K fun run alongside the main event, and all of them received their finisher’s medals for completing the course.

With Tarsus matching employee contributions in addition to the team members’ tireless fundraising efforts and generous donations from corporate sponsors, the team raised a total amount of $6,745.92 in aid of Al Jalila Foundation – the largest amount raised in the corporate category for the foundation.

Al Jalila Foundation promotes medical education and research by investing in the UAE’s medical treatment capabilities; it provides scholarships to nurture a home-grown generation of medical professionals and supports ground-breaking research that addresses health challenges prevalent in the region.

“Sports events have the power to bring communities together to raise awareness and funds for charitable causes. This year we witnessed an unprecedented number of individuals, running clubs and corporates representing Al Jalila Foundation at Dubai Marathon,” said Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of the Al Jalila Foundation. “Tarsus is a perfect example of how companies can inspire their employees to get involved in a good cause and give back to the community they live in. We are extremely grateful to Team Tarsus’ for helping us spread joy and happiness to children of determination.” 

“It’s wonderful to be able to contribute to Dubai in this way,” van Akelijen added, “and it was a great way to do so while also enjoying such comradery among the team.”