
The Early Intervention Centre of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, in cooperation with a number of schools in the Emirate of Sharjah, institutions and community bodies, organized the sixth session of the awareness sports activity "Childhood Athon" at "Island of Science". The annual event aims to raise awareness about disability and shed light on issues related to it, in addition to raising awareness of ways to prevent and reduce its occurrence. More than 4000 male and female students from the emirate's schools participated in the activity, along with their peers with disabilities from the city, in various competitions and challenges that included simulating the conditions of disability in its various forms to increase understanding and appreciation of the needs of this group. The event witnessed a distinguished participation from the Sharjah Center for Voluntary Work, which contributed with 44 volunteers to maintain the safety and security of children, organize the entry and exit process, distribute water, in addition to motivating and encouraging participants and guiding them to gathering places. Hessa Al Hammadi, Director of the Community Cohesion Department at the Department, explained that this event reflects the importance of enhancing community cohesion, as sports contribute to integrating people with disabilities with their peers and building an aware and integrated society. She added that these events demonstrate the value of cooperation between various parties to achieve common humanitarian goals. For his part, Ahmed Hassan Mirza, Awareness Programs Coordinator at the Sharjah Center for Voluntary Work, stressed that participation in the “Childhood Athon” reflects the center’s commitment to supporting the activities of the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and enhancing joint efforts to serve people with disabilities and the community. “Childhood Athon” is a living example of the importance of sports in integrating people with disabilities into society and achieving humanitarian goals that contribute to building an integrated society based on inclusiveness and awareness.