LivingPolo.com

On Saturday, October 29th, at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, in Abu Dhabi, the second edition of the Pink Polo event will take place. Its very important objective is to a create more awareness referred to breast cancer among women in the region. So as to get to know more about what this day will have to offer, LivingPolo.com interviewed Carrie McNeill, founder of Pink Polo.

LivingPolo.com: This will be the second edition of Pink Polo, What are your expectations prior to this year's event?

Carrie McNeill: "In just one year Pink Polo has grown to be the largest breast cancer awareness event in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi attracting a couple of thousand people. Our main goal this year has been in projects leading up to the event and ways to get more members of the community involved. This year we launched Pink Polo Campus promotion tour, visiting 5 of the key College Campuses around the country. The tour included setting up a photo both with Polo equipment so the students could take Facebook and BBM profile pictures and by that spread awareness of the event and its great cause. We also launched a 'Pink Polo Paint' competition where the students where encouraged to paint the theme of Breast Cancer and Polo. The best entries from each collage will be exhibited at the event. To me, it's all about providing fun elements to get the younger generation engaged and by that to be more educated- 'Today's students are tomorrow's mothers'".

LivingPolo.com: How did the idea of Pink Polo come up? What is due to a request from some people, o was it entirely your idea?

Carrie McNeill: "It started as a small idea I had after hearing about the alarming numbers of the current situation, as in the UAE Breast Cancer is discovered almost 10 years later than US/Europe and as a result almost 40% of diagnosed women do not survive. It makes me so angry to know this, moreover when 98% of the cases can survive if diagnosed in early stages. At that time I didn't know anyone in my close surroundings that had had Breast Cancer but in less than a year I did get to reality. 1 in 8 women and 1 in 100 men get diagnosed every year!"

LivingPolo.com: How did the idea crop up in what refers to going ahead with a polo event?

Carrie McNeill: "As I've been working with sports all my life and I had been thinking about a sports charity for quite a long time. And as I was also running the marketing for Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club it came natural as I wanted a sport that can attract all members of the family. Polo was a perfect match, especially here in the Emirates where they also have a strong history and passion for the equestrian life. A lot of Breast Cancer awareness events are too girly in my view so I wanted to involve everybody, that is also why Pink Polo does not have only female polo players as I want both men and women to be involved".

LivingPolo.com: What is the ultimate aim of Pink Polo? What results have you obtained from the first edition?

Carrie McNeill: "Pink Polo has become a tool to address and highlight a subject that in the Middle East still is a rather taboo issue to discuss.

In our first year we had over 1700 people attending despite being over 40 degrees Celsius hot during the day. This year I am confident the numbers will grow even bigger. In the Emirates you also have a lot of cultural elements and aspects to respect and follow so my goal is to do so but also to push boundaries to create more awareness. When I first planned Pink Polo I had so many people telling me that this event would never be possible, that it is too taboo and that no local women would attend. But to me you just have to show respect and be more creative, so one example is that I have built a ladies only VIP Pavilion, The 'Pink Terrace' and I am working with Women Business councils and government entities to encourage the local women to attend. The idea is that we provide a haven to the ladies, with great goodie bags, offer free bridal nail services, etc. etc.

The aim is of course to grow this part as well as the entire event concept and by that reach more people with our message of how early detection can safe more lives."

LivingPolo.com: Which new aspects will we see this year, compared to last year's?

Carrie McNeill: "We have included a volunteer program among students, so now we have around 50 female students volunteering which is great as this gets them very involved. We have also boosted the Pink Polo Best Dressed award where the winner wins a pair of Etihad Airways tickets to any destination so hopefully there will be some great Pink outfits".

LivingPolo.com: Which activities will the event include this year?

Carrie McNeill: "For the more serious part, in the Pink Majilis, we are offering free mammogram screenings for all ladies during the day. We also have hourly seminars on self examinations techniques and dietary advice. As for the more fun elements we have a team from Skydive Dubai that have created a special demo show and we have a young local R&B rap talent, Robin, who has rewritten one of his hits and will perform live on the day. He is massively popular among the young ladies so I'm sure there will be a big fan base attending to see his show".

LivingPolo.com: Which players will be taking part in the match? Will thee be local and foreign players?

Carrie McNeill: "I'm delighted to say that ADCB Polo team have a team of 3 Emirati brothers: Abduallah, Ahmed and Tariq Bin Desmal. This is great as it is all about a family day out and a family concern which we are promoting. They will be joined by Argentine Oscar Colombres. Estee Lauder Companies Polo team will have 3 Wmarit players (Nasser al, Ahmed al Naeimi, Matar al Yabhouni) and joined by 24 year old talent Ramiro Cordero who will be in the Emirates for the first time".

LivingPolo.com: Which companies/entities support Pink Polo?

Carrie McNeill: "We have had great support from HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan who is our patron and who was the first person I approached with the idea. We also had amazing support from Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the leading UAE bank Abu Dhabi Commercial bank. Without their support I would not been able to do this event. We also had a great mix of local and international business supporting such as Estee Lauders Companies and Etihad Airways and not to forget Is also all the smaller supporting partners who also contribute to the end product of Pink Polo, it truly is a team work".

LivingPolo.com: Which breakthroughs are you expecting with this event?

Carrie McNeill: "I only one year Pink Polo has become the main Breast Cancer awareness event for the Abu Dhabi Health Authority. We have brought on board some new great partners including the UAE National Airlines, Etihad Airways and St. Regis hotel and in the future I want Pink Polo to be that name that everyone recognizes and a date that people plan far ahead to attend. I guess a mini version of the Cartier Polo. Who knows maybe one day we can grow to be their size (laugh)!"

LivingPolo.com: Are there similar events of this type in other parts of the world?

Carrie McNeill: "There are many Pink versions of Polo events around the world for Breast Cancer awareness but nothing that includes all our 'sub brands' such as the Pink Majilis or Pink Terrace. Pink Polo in itself is not a difficult idea to stage but our aim is to deliver a wide concept that provides an platform to generate awareness in so many areas, whether it is by our corporate or government partners, by media presence or just from person to person. As we now have this concept developed we feel ready to share it with other partners of the world and hope to do so in a close future".

LivingPolo.com: How is women's polo developing in the UAE?

Carrie McNeill: "The interest for Polo in general is growing, also for women’s polo. The issue in the Emirates is that there still are not a lot of places where the ladies can play. There are some plans to develop this so let's see, but the interest is definitely there".

LivingPolo.com: Which Social Benefits are forthcoming from Pink Polo in the UAE?

Carrie McNeill: "Pink Polo is a platform that allows members of the community to be together and take a standpoint. Whether that is a student who bakes cupcakes and gives them away at the event, a photographer whos help is to take beautiful images, or international well known brands who want to market a product to the rich Arab, the thing is that we are all coming together for a good cause. The idea is that Pink Polo is not seen as a charity event, it's a 'top of the line' Polo event so sponsors receive all benefits and return on investment. Adding the important CSR angle, they actually get more by working with us than other events. We are now in talks to take the concept international so sponsors and others are welcome to be in touch should they be interested in joining our team in making a difference!

Thank you for your support and remember, early detection saves lives!

Together we can save more lives!