Two members of staff at InterContinental Hotels Group have completed a paddling marathon across two cities in the UAE to raise funds for the group’s disaster relief programme, IHG Shelter in a Storm.
IHG director of commercial Damian ten Bohmer and acting field marketing manager for the Middle East and Africa regions Angelo Vassiliades participated in Capital Paddle, which covered 180 kilometres from Dubai to Abu Dhabi over three consecutive days.
IHG chief operating officer India, Middle East and Africa Pascal Gauvin said: “Damian and Angelo are live examples of what it means to walk the talk. Through the Capital Paddle they combined their passion for paddling with their love for the community, and the completion of this ultra-marathon is a strong demonstration of their tremendous drive and tenacity.
"We are very proud of their efforts to raise funds for our Shelter in a Storm programme.”
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Ten Bohmer and Vassiliades set off from InterContinental Dubai Festival City on December 11 and ended the marathon on December 13 at InterContinental Abu Dhabi.
Angelo Vassiliades commented: “We had set ourselves a huge personal challenge, but the funds that we raised for IHG Shelter in a Storm made it all worthwhile. We would do it again in a heartbeat if it means we can help even more people during their time of need when disaster hits.”
Damian ten Bohmer added: “The real challenge wasn't just in the paddling but in pulling the entire event together and the support we've received has made it all a lot easier. We'd like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Dubai Maritime City Authorities, Dubai Police, Khalifa Port – Abu Dhabi Ports Company, Naval Officers Club, UAE Coast Guard and the Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority for all their assistance and support. And we couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of all our colleagues around the world as well. This is as much their achievement as it is ours.”
The Capital Paddle follows IHG’s Race Around the World, held earlier this year, which saw more than 177,000 members from IHG’s corporate offices across 67 countries carry out activities to raise funds for the programme. For each activity, IHG made a donation of US $1 to the IHG Shelter Fund.
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