Memorable Charity Week at University of Calgary in Qatar raises spirits and funds

Under the theme of Sports, University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) students organized many exciting initiatives on the sidelines of Charity Week that brought the campus community together to raise funds for orphans and children in need. The fun-packed week kicked off with a carnival that featured an array of food stalls, exciting carnival games, inflatables, and prizes. 

Pre-loved books were resold at the ‘Book-xing’ book fair, and through the Slam Dunk initiative, students sold food items at the bake sale. This year, student bakers got to decide the percentage they want to donate to charity. At ‘Olymplants,’ students and instructors had the opportunity to purchase from a selection of plants for charity. Other initiatives included a henna corner and a garage sale where students donated pre-loved items to sell.

Through Interuni Sports, UCQ played in a tournament with the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) and Qatar University (QU). The friendly matches were between the girls' basketball and volleyball teams as well as the boys' football teams. The popular Movie Night was the cherry on top for students and staff who needed a break amidst the semester stress.

As part of the Charity Week events lineup, student services along with student volunteers organized a Mini FIFA Day. This spectacular event set the mood as the whole country gears up for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Visitors had the opportunity to tour the sports museum which showcased sports history and heritage. Interactive booths representing a wide variety of sports such as football, badminton, tennis, bowling, darts, archery, golf, basketball, baseball, and swimming, engaged visitors while simultaneously highlighting key milestones in the history of each sport.

Several areas were also set up with face painting, FIFA merchandise and popular pop-up cafes and coffee shops. All Mini World Cup Day participants left with a special gift.

UCQ takes pride in its student, faculty, and staff diversity and the annual Global Village, held during Charity Week, is one of the grandest reflections of this diversity. The evening event offered the campus community an amazing experience through cultural food booths, a vibrant cultural fashion show, and a traditional dance competition. Booths included Canada, Qatar, Sudan, Palestine, Philippines, India, Pakistan, and East Africa — Global Village brought smiles and joy to all, as visitors and their families learned more about each other’s rich cultural heritage.

This year’s Charity Week has been a great success, with students raising an impressive 10,413 QAR ($3,900 Canadian). All proceeds will be donated to children and orphans in need.