Riding for a Cause

My name is Jean-Francois Laurent, bike-enthusiast and General Manager of Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa.  I am about to embark on a motorcycle journey of 8,000km from Dubai to Teilhet, Ariège, with my wife Nadine, passing through Iran, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia and Italy. We will be raising vital funds for the local charity, the Special Needs Future Development Center (SNF), which is a Dubai based charity that offers personalised and professional care for young adults with special needs. The entire trip will be funded personally and all donations will go directly to SNF providing the much-needed items and supplies to improve the day to day running of the Centre.

We will begin our 21-day experience on 29th May 2014 from the resort on the Palm Jumeirah, where children and young adults from SNF will join them for a “Bon Voyage” ceremony.

The 29th May will also mark the launch of Anantara’s ‘Fountain of Wishes’, which is situated at the entrance of the resort and encourages guests to throw a coin and make a wish. The money collected from the fountain will also be donated towards realising SNF’s Wish List throughout the year.

With Anantara being a Minor Hotels Group brand, the journey will also coincide with the annual Minor Founder’s Day, where associates from all of the Group’s brands participate in charitable events around the world.