Aster Volunteers and Community Development Authority (CDA) joined hands to mark World Heart Day with the first ever ‘Be Young at Heart’ marathon, organized to highlight the importance of regular exercise to maintain a healthy heart. Inaugurated by Alisha Moopen, Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, TJ Wilson, Executive Director, Group Head Governance & Corporate Affairs at Aster DM Healthcare and Mr. Saeed Al Tayer, CEO of social planning and development sector at CDA, the 10km marathon welcomed over 3000 participants from different walks of life, including employees of Aster DM Healthcare from Medcare Hospitals, Medical Centres, Aster Hospitals UAE, Aster Clinics and Retail.
Among the 3000 participants, the first three participants to finish the 10km run were Mr. Abdel Ali from Morocco who finished at first place, Mr. Ibrahim Sulamani from Morocco finished second and Mr. Dominic from Kenya finished at third place.
According to Dubai Statistics Centre, around 30% of the UAE population suffers from heart disease, that is often linked to unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits. As part of Vision 2021, the UAE aims to reduce lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases to ensure a longer, healthy life for citizens.
“Physical activity is key to maintaining your health which will help to reduce many lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The Be Young at Heart Marathon is an initiative in which Aster Volunteers has joined hands with CDA of Dubai as part of the awareness campaign for the public. Dubai is endowed with excellent weather for 5 to 6 months where the residents can undertake outdoor activities which can help them reduce the risk of cardiac diseases. We thank all the participants for joining us in large numbers through their enthusiastic participation. Let me also place on record our appreciation for CDA for partnering with us in this event,” commented Dr. Azad Moopen.
“The Community Development Authority is committed towards the development and welfare of the residents of UAE and we have worked closely with the Aster Volunteers team to set out the path for the Be Young at Heart marathon. The initiative is in line with the national agenda of promoting a healthy lifestyle and we were delighted to support this community event,” added Mr. Saeed Al Tayer.
Aster Volunteers is a corporate social responsibility initiative of Aster DM Healthcare that has impacted over 1 million lives. The Be Young At Heart Marathon will be taking place across the GCC and India between 27-29 September.
