Breast Cancer is a disease that affects one in eight women, and when Carrie McNeil realised that only 30% of cases were detected in the early stages, she knew she wanted to do something to raise awareness and make a difference. So she combined her love for sports and her desire to make a difference together, and came up with an event called Pink Polo.
TEMPO: Where does your passion come from?
Carrie– I’ve always had a great passion for sports. I was an elite athlete in my youth and in my career I spent 10 years in the field of sports marketing. In the UAE I used to work for an agency involved with Etihad Airways sponsorships managing brands like Ferrari F1 and Chelsea Football etc. Recently I started my own business, Scott & Scandi, which is all about events designed to give back to the community. I also manage the marketing for Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club with HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the patron of the property and the Polo Team.
TEMPO: How did Pink Polo come about?
Carrie– I learnt from living in the Emirates about the Islamic tradition of giving back to the community and I kept trying to figure out how I could do this in a creative way. I knew I wanted to do something different and that I didn’t want to just raise money, as so many other charities do this very well. I wanted to create awareness about a topic but do it in a manner that was fun. It was while doing some research that I came across the shocking facts about Breast Cancer in the UAE. That was when I decided to launch ‘Pink Polo’.
TEMPO: How did you make it happen’?
Carrie: Well, once I knew what I wanted to do, I approached Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club and Health Authority Abu Dhabi with the idea. They liked the idea and that got me speaking to sponsors and individuals and, in turn, helped spread the word about my campaign. We ended up finding really good support from the community within Abu Dhabi and found committed sponsors as Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Abu Dhabi Airports Company as well as international sponsors such as Estée Lauder Companies, among others. Thanks to our the patron, HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the event could feature its main attraction, a polo match including both international polo and Emirati polo players, at the venue, the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.
TEMPO: What makes Pink Polo different?
I wanted to make Pink Polo a fun, family event. I want the community to be able to talk about breast cancer and not treat it like the taboo that people thought it was. I want it to be a platform to allow not only companies but individuals to feel comfortable enough to support the event, talk about it, and spread the word. I decided that the event would be like a day out with the family. It would definitely be about raising awareness about breast cancer but apart from the polo game, it would feature picnic grounds, free children’s activities, pony and camel rides and even an award for the guest dressed in the most striking pink outfit of the day! The event also got our sponsors to raise awareness among staff and clients.
TEMPO: How can our readers make a difference?
Carrie: I guess the most important thing would be to increase awareness about the disease. Whether it be feeling free to talk about it or encouraging your mother, sisters, cousins, best friends etc. to get themselves checked. Another point would be to not be scared of the situation. In 80% of the time, lumps found are non cancerous, but it is always better to get yourself checked out and be sure. The shocking fact is that one out of eight women suffers from breast cancer and that only 30% of cases are discovered in the early stages here in the UAE. The point is that early detection can save up to 98% of cases and the only way to catch it is to keep checking.
We hope to see as many as possible join us at the event on October 29 at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. The event is free so please spread the word to family and friends!
By Sharon Carvalho
