November 2, 2016,

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) hosted a festival to raise money for charity this week, with the event being organized by the student-run Charity Club. The festival successfully raised a considerable sum of money through ticket sales and events taking place on campus, and will be divided between the Red Crescent and Beit Al Khair.

Haya Al Ajjal, a sophomore studying industrial engineering, founded the Charity Club at the beginning of October and has since recruited a further 15 members. Reflecting on her reasons for starting the club and organizing the initiative, she stated, “I started this club because I feel like we all need to do more to help the most vulnerable members of society. We of course aim to raise money for these charities, but also to raise awareness among students and encourage young people to get actively involved in volunteering and fundraising activities.”

Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, AURAK president, praised the students’ initiative. “It is great to see our students dedicating their time and effort to such worthy causes. At AURAK, we strongly believe in giving back to the community and acting with civil responsibility and integrity, and it makes me proud to see our students putting into practice the values upon which this university was built.”

A number of local restaurants and food vendors set up stalls at the event, while a number of activities and competitions were organized for the attendees. The event was concluded with a number of performances from local celebrities such as Hamad Al Shehhi and Khulood Al Maleh.