ALKHOBAR, 9 March 2007 — There were 10,000 participants and 38 winners in the 12th Annual Cross-Country Run held at Alkhobar Corniche on Thursday evening.
The event took place under the auspices of the Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd and in the presence of Eastern Province Mayor Daifullah Al-Otaiby and chairman of the run committee Abdul Aziz Al-Turki.
The races were held in various categories, including children with special needs.
The run started in Al-Qarban Square in the Al-Fawazia area in South Alkhobar and ended at the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Park at the Alkhobar Corniche. Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain Abdullah Al-Quwaiz won first position in the run for the above-60 age group.
The participants included Malaysian Ambassador to Bahrain Naim Al-Shukri and Yemeni Ambassador to Bahrain Ali Al-Fujairi besides several employees of Saudi Aramco. Abdul Aziz Al-Turki distributed the prizes to the winners.
The idea of the run had its origin in a parents meeting of the Dhahran National Schools in 1995. And the Committee for the Charitable Cross-Country Run was established, which included businessmen, teachers and students.
The committee received wide public attention and won the encouragement of Prince Muhammad and Deputy Gov. Prince Saud ibn Naif.
Its objectives could be summed up as familiarizing the students, company employees and government and private institutions with the collective voluntary work and charity and participation in social activities and creating a generation of youth with excellent physical agility.
Walking and running are good exercises that protect man from diseases related to heart, overweight, sugar and blood pressure, Down’s syndrome and hereditary blood diseases.
This year’s collection will go to help orphaned children in the Eastern Province.
