This Christmas give gifts that give back

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: This Christmas give gifts that give back It’s better to give than receive, we’re all told as children. It rings true, particularly this time of year – like for Olga Zolotova, who was inspired by a child in a wheelchair at a shopping mall. “He was looking at the Christmas tree and I asked him about Santa and his reply was ‘Santa will not come to me because I am sick. But if he comes to you will you tell him about me?’ These words touched me and I decided my next challenge will be dedicated to kids with cancer,” she explains. After her successful 400km solo cycling challenge across the seven emirates in 24 hours in support of Dubai Cares last October, the 25-year-old will be setting off on a 200km run in 24 hours along Jumeirah Beach from December 29-30. This is part of her toy donation drive with Marwa Fayed’s Toy Run and Aramex that aims to collect 100kg of old and new toys to be distributed to the Children Cancer Hospital in Pakistan. According to Olga, there are more than 50,000 children in Pakistan suffering from cancer and more than 10,000 will spend Christmas and New Year in their hospital beds. “Everyone deserves to find a present under the tree in the morning, but for most of them it is becoming difficult to believe in miracles. Together we can help them to believe again.” Donations are accepted until December 29, contact olga.inspired@gmail.com or 050 650 6327 Winter aid The UN Refugee Agency has launched the regional #WarmTheirHearts winter campaign to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon and other neighbouring countries. The monetary donations through leben.unhcr.org will provide 20,000 refugee families essentials like blankets, stoves and warm clothes kits this season. A donation of as low as Dhs183.63 can help provide for a family’s needs for two weeks. Share old toys Give your old toys a new home, drop them off with a note telling your most cherished memory of them at the giant gift box at Kidzania until January 2. The toys will be given to less fortunate children through the Ro’yati Family Society. kidzania.ae glaiza@7days.ae Read the original story at: This Christmas give gifts that give back