Bank of Palestine participated in the second Gaza Marathon on March 1st, 2012, as the main sponsor of the event. Despite the gloomy weather, which came with heavy rain and wind storms, the marathon kicked off at Beit Hanoun in the north and ended at Rafah, 42 kilometres away. More than two thousand children, in addition to over 500 Palestinian and international athletes (a total of 2700 participants) ran the Gaza Marathon, which was organized by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) as a fundraiser for its annual children's summer camps, Summer Games 2012.
Among the participating children were children with special needs who ran the last 100 meters of the marathon. The other children were classified into groups according to age and distance attempted. Some ran 1 kilometre, some 10 kilometres and some ran half the marathon. Bahaa Al Farra and Nader Al Masri, Palestinian runners who are going to compete in the London Olympics later this year, were also among the participants.
This sponsorship is part of Bank of Palestine’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS). BoP believes that true progress begins with social and economic development on a community level. This has been our belief and commitment since our founding. Therefore we have been the leaders in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Palestine dedicating around 5% of our net profit to CSR. In 2010 alone, BoP’s CSR budget reached around $1.5 million, and covered the following sectors: Youth and sports, education, health, arts, culture, tourism, and other humanitarian work. This year, BoP was recognized by the Association of Banks in Palestine as the “Largest contributor to CSR among Banks in Palestine.”