A Staggering 2,000 Flock to myBee'ah's Third Annual Walkathon to Celebrate Earth Day 2014

myBee’ah’s third annual Walkathon – held on April 22 at Sharjah’s Al Qasba – proved to be an immense success, providing a powerful platform for community engagement and environmental education

Sharjah, UAE, 24 April 2014: This year’s myBee'ah Walkathon – which took place on April 22 at Sharjah’s Al Majaz Park and coincided with Earth Day 2014 – saw a record 2,000 participants, all eager to adopt eco-sensitive best practices and spearhead positive environmental change across the emirate. Hosted by Bee’ah – the Middle East’s leading and award winning integrated environmental and waste management company – the event’s third edition marked the two-year anniversary of the launch of myBee’ah.

The Walkathon was led by His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi – who has, in the past, carved out a solid reputation as the UAE’s ‘Green Sheikh’ for his incredible efforts in raising awareness of green issues, environmental protection and conservation, and Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi and Khaled Al Huraimel were accompanied by members of the Association of Families of Persons with Disabilities, Bee’ah’s management, Bee’ah’s health and safety team and walkathon volunteers.

A truly revolutionary initiative launched in 2012, myBee’ah is designed to deepen the public’s knowledge of the environment and address related issues through advocacy, education and activities. In effect, the myBee’ah Walkathon targets people of all ages – from various nationalities and cultures – looking to showcase their solidarity in the fight to save the environment. More significantly, it draws attention to the importance of recycling and sheds light on the beautification of the city of Sharjah.

Presented by Strategic Partner ENOC and Gold Sponsor Madina Mall, the three-kilometre Walkathon began at Al Qasba at 4:00 pm and ended at the Al-Majaz Waterfront at 8:00 pm. Other supporting partners included Dial-A-Battery, Lipton Clear Green, Air Arabia, Al Habtoor Motors, Aquafina, Crossfit Hour, Babyshop, Sharjah Co-op Society, Shakespeare and Company, Mega Mall, Radisson Blu Sharjah and Zulekha Hospital. 

At the walk, attendees were able to indulge in a plethora of outdoor activities – ranging from face painting to jumping mats, games and a photo booth. A prestigious awards ceremony honouring loyal myBee’ah champions and dedicated volunteers was also held. Indeed, three myBee’ah Champion Awards were handed out by His Highness Sheikh Al Nuaimi and Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah. The lucky winners had been accumulating loyalty points over the years as part of the myBee’ah environmental rewards programme – the region’s first initiative of its kind created to encourage individuals to recycle and engage with other likeminded members of the community while redeeming rewards for their environmental advocacy. 

On the Community Engagement front, Bee’ah is committed to raise awareness and engage the community through myBee’ah, a Bee’ah initiative engaging community members in interactive engagements, events, environmental activities and dialogue. myBee’ah includes the myBee’ah Loyalty Programme, with over 2,000 members to date, which rewards community members for their environmental and recycling actions. 

To become part of the myBee’ah loyalty programme, members must register online through www.mybeeah.ae; from there, they can benefit from discounts and offers at participating stores as well as exchange points for vouchers, gifts and promotions.

In addition, various giveaways – such as informative brochures and leaflets – were distributed throughout the Walkathon to highlight key environmental matters such as natural resource management and pollution prevention. “Environmental protection is not solely the responsibility of governments or waste management companies – in reality, it starts and ends with each and every one of us,” said Khaled Al Huraimel, Group Chief Executive Officer, Bee’ah. “myBee’ah is all about igniting community engagement to help further drive Sharjah’s journey towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. Our 2014 Walkathon – held on Earth Day – did just that, serving as a pioneering catalyst for positive eco-change.”

Al Huraimel also added, “At Bee’ah, we would like to thank all of our partners for their support in making our 2014 Walkathon initiative such a resounding success.”

Since its founding in 2007, Bee’ah has remained steadfast in its commitment to transforming environmental thoughts, attitudes and behaviours across communities – a goal that is perfectly in line with the company’s plan to achieve zero-waste to landfill in Sharjah by 2015. 

This objective – established in accordance with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah – will catapult the emirate into the Environmental Capital of the Middle East and make it the first Arab city ever to divert 100% of its waste from landfill.