On October 3 the popular eatery and art hub will be selling pink baked goods and exhibiting local artists’ pink pieces all to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. Caitlyn Davey paid a visit to find out more.
Aida Mansour, the owner of Café Arabia, is expanding the café’s breast cancer awareness campaign to get children involved on October 3. ‘We are hoping to make breast cancer awareness a family and community event; children are a very important factor in making this event a success. Often set aside, campaigns focus on adults… we think kids are the motivation for any mother, grandmother and aunt to take the test. They are the stars of our campaign.’
So why did you choose to support Breast Cancer Arabia?
We have been supporting trusted international and UAE registered causes, and this year we chose Breast Cancer Arabia because it’s a legal and registered charity. We believe Café Arabia is a community café, and together with our community we want to support all those courageous women and their families by giving them hope and financial support, through Breast Cancer Arabia, for breast cancer treatment as well as supporting awareness for early and regular check-ups for both women and young girls.
What do you hope to achieve with this event?
We are hoping to create a community event, where we bring everybody to take part in making a positive change in a family’s life. We already know we have a supportive community from the locally-based international and Emirati artists to the finest customers, who have supported our vision and mission of bridging cultures through art, literature, food and good causes.
How can the community support the cause?
We are asking any artist, crafts-person and business to donate items that will go on sale [the proceeds of] which we will donate entirely to Breast Cancer Arabia. We are also selling pink cupcakes and cakes, from which we will donate 50 percent of sales to Breast Cancer Arabia. Companies can also place orders for pink cakes and pink cupcakes for their staff – doubling the benefits; for staff awareness, supporting a good cause and satisfying a sweet tooth.
We have also a special request to mothers and schools to ask their little ones as well as the older children to draw artwork related to breast cancer, to showcase in Café Arabia, and this way build the awareness from a very early age in children to influence their mothers to do the test, as well as to grow to be responsible adults supporting this cause, as well to look after themselves in future.
How can people get involved on the day?
People can get involved by coming to Café Arabia wearing pink, buying the donated art works, pink cakes or simply enjoying our pink cupcakes while looking at the art and knowing they are part of a great cause.
Breast Cancer Arabia provides financial assistance to women with breast cancer who cannot afford surgeries and treatment. www.breastcancerarabia.com. Café Arabia, between Al Karama and Airport Rd www.facebook.com/cafearabia (02 643 9699).
