The Higher Organising Committee of the annual Pink Caravan Ride - a pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FoCP) - has announced that registration for riders who wish to join the 10-day horseback ride is now open.
The 2015 Pink Caravan Ride will kick off on 16 March, to raise community awareness about the early detection of breast cancer and dispel misconceptions about the disease.
The committee will select 150 riders from promising candidates who meet the participation requirements and criteria, most notably experienced riders in the field of equestrianism. Additionally, potential riders should be over 14 years of age and have the consent of their parents
Interested horseback riders can register online via www.pinkcaravan.ae.  Participation is open to both male and female riders from all nationalities.
HE Ameera Binkaram, President of the Board of Trustees and a founding member of the Friends of Cancer Patients society (FoCP), highlighted the importance of the integrated humanitarian role played by the annual Pink Caravan, not only in achieving its key objective of spreading breast cancer awareness, but also by encouraging a culture of volunteerism and enhancing solidarity among members of the community.

She added: "Chivalry is deeply rooted in the Arab heritage, and has always been associated with altruism and magnanimity. We draw on these noble values by presenting equine riders a chance to enlist and join our ride, so that they can inspire and motivate everyone who witness this unique event through these values. Consequently, this encourages volunteer riders to courteously cooperate with one another and engage in group work, together reaching the goal of dispelling fears and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer, while offering free medical examinations to residents and citizens to the UAE."
The chosen riders will join the Pink Caravan Ride 2015, taking off from Sharjah on March 16th, where they will journey through all seven Emirates, wrapping up the tour in Abu Dhabi on March 25th. The 150 riders will be divided into 10 groups, with each division consisting of 15 riders assigned to a one-day horseback ride according to their preference of route, distance and location. The riders will spend around 7-8 hours on horseback every day, with the estimated average daily ride ranging between 30 and 40km.
During the 10-day quest, the experienced medical team accompanying the riders will offer free breast cancer examinations to community members as well as spread public awareness by distributing educational brochures and holding lectures and workshops on how to perform self- examination of breast cancer, other health services and ways of supporting and  cancer patients.
Since its inception in 2011, the Pink Caravan has been actively raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, and highlighting the impact of the disease throughout the UAE. The Pink Caravan efforts have greatly contributed to dispelling misconceptions related to breast cancer, and provided indispensable financial and emotional support to patients and their families.
The initiative has also received immense support and great attention from regional and international organisations involved in the fight against cancer and spreading public awareness about its dangers.