Attractive items up for grabs at auction tonight

Monday, Dec 07, 2009

Gulf News

Dubai An all-expense paid trip for two to Wimbledon 2010 and similar packages for the US Open at Pebble Beach and The Masters at Augusta are among the items on offer at tonight's charity gala dinner and auction to be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City.

The event is an initiative from Dubai Sports City (DSC) and Right To Play International with the sole aim of supporting programmes for children in the Middle East and in the UAE. Proceedings will get under way at 7.30pm at the Al Ras Ballroom.

Announcing the event was Dr Ahmad Sa'ad Al Sharif, general secretary of the Dubai Sports Council in the company of 1968 high jump gold medallist Dick Fosbury, 1996 Atlanta Games heptathlon gold medallist Ghada Shuaa and Pakistan cricketer Zaheer Abbas.

Tennis players Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic have all donated photographs of them that are signed and framed

Last year's auction raised $700,000 (around Dh2.6 million) that was used for various projects and programmes in the Middle East, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine and Lebanon.

"Our main focus is not the actual money that is raised, but the worthy cause that this amount will go as a support," Dr Sharif said.

By Alaric Gomes