‘Stop Plastic Pollution’
Manama : As many as 240 people rowed their boats to raise awareness of plastic pollution and protect the marine environment at the 42nd annual Raft Race.
The motto of this year’s race held by the Rotary Club of Salmaniya at Al Bandar Hotel and Resort was ‘Stop Plastic Pollution’.
“It took a lot of work to get this event running, and everything is going towards supporting the community,” said Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa, the Rotary Club of Salmaniya’s incoming President and Raft Race Committee Head.
Twenty-four, 10-member, teams competed against each other in the event, which took a team of club members almost five months of planning to realise.
“Four teams competed in each race and were allowed to race at least twice,” Shaikh Abdulla said. Rafts were provided by the club for training.
The race, Shaikh Abdulla said, is the club’s main annual fundraiser. “Since its inception in the late 1970s, the event has donated more than BD2 million to charities,” he added.
On this year’s theme, he told DT News, “The effort is to stop plastic pollution and increase awareness of its dangers.”
“It’s a global cause, especially in Bahrain,” he stressed.
“We have to be more careful as recent studies showed that the plastic that reaches sea are actually eaten by fish, which is also a direct hazard to the well being of humans.”
Following the race, the club announced that it will hold a ‘thank you lunch’ for the event sponsors at the Golden Tulip Hotel.
Certificates were handed over to winners after a talk show on the race and the people it has positively affected.
“It’s a day full of fun with DJs, music, events, trophies, great food, and entertainment for the kids,” Shaikh Abdulla said.
The winners of 2017–2018 Raft Race were:
Open sea race (men)
1) APM Terminals
2) Yateem A
3) BAS
Lagoon race (mixed genders)
1) Marshals 2
2) Alba 1
3)Marshals1
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