A rally for youthful spirits with ageing bodies was organised at Merryland Park in Heliopolis on 4 April under the title of “Al-Haraka Baraka” or “Movement is a Blessing.” Sustained by hope and a love of life, the rally extended for one km and encouraged the presence of older people along with their children and grandchildren.
It was organised by the Golden Years Foundation under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Dina Hashish, founder of the Golden Years Foundation, said that “the rally aims to promote the idea of ageing in good health and to encourage the idea that age is just a number.”
She told Al-Ahram Weekly that “sport offers older people an opportunity to keep their bodies active, while also serving as a social and psychological outlet and enabling them to have a day out with their children and neighbours.”
“Such initiatives help protect against depression and cognitive decline. They also foster interaction between the generations, with older participants attending alongside their children and grandchildren.”
Hashish said that people from nearly 20 care homes in various governorates had taken part in the rally, alongside individuals from different parts of the capital. The total number of participants had reached 3,500.
Now entering its third consecutive year, the event also helps some elderly people who are unable to walk by providing wheelchairs assisted by volunteers. The Golden Years Choir, composed of older individuals, also took part. Its members have learned singing and music under the guidance of a trainer and now bring joy to others through their performances.
Recalling one moving moment, Hashish said that one man in his nineties had arrived at the rally in a wheelchair with a catheter bag attached to him. “He was determined to take part,” she said, adding that he had said that for four years he had only left home to visit doctors, but “today I chose to come out and join you.”
The first step in participating was to complete a registration form requiring participants to provide their name, telephone number, age, health status, and an emergency contact. More than 1,800 people registered electronically at this stage.
The next step involved heading to Merryland Park, where participants could purchase an entry ticket and be welcomed by the Golden Years Foundation’s reception team. The rally’s warm-up session was led by athletes and doctors specialising in geriatric care.
Amina Sami, a student at the Faculty of Social Work in Cairo and a volunteer at the event, said she had come across an advertisement for the rally and that this was her first time participating in the event.
She explained that she wanted to learn how to interact more closely with older people, particularly after the experience of her father’s final illness, which had left her with a sense of having fallen short in caring for him as she would have wished.
For Adam, the experience was different. A student who is not yet 20 years old, he was attending as a volunteer alongside his mother and father.
Once welcomed and guided by the volunteers to the rally activities, the participants breathed in an atmosphere of joy, as they swayed and clapped along to the sounds of 1980s music.
Some could be heard singing a song composed for them by Hani Shenouda with lyrics by Zeinab Shafik. “We are young, whether over 60 or even over 70 or 80, the number of years does not matter. Come on, let us live,” the song said.
The residents of care homes were seated at tables, each marked with the name of their institution. In front of the stage and before the rally proper began, Nashwa, a member of the Golden Years Choir, played the drums, while a man leaning on a walking stick joined in while the crowd clapped in a lively and cheerful manner.
Hundreds of older participants had gathered for the event, including Hanaa, aged 65, who was attending with a friend. She said she had been drawn to the idea as she had been looking for activities that would help to keep her active and engaged.
Magda Al-Gali had travelled from Mansoura with friends from her club to take part.
Adel, 63, had come to the rally dressed in an elegant suit, while Mohamed Abdel-Raouf Ammar, 67, believed it was important to accept the invitation and step out when the occasion offered.
Ammar said that he had felt lonely living in his family home and had decided to move to a care home in search of companionship instead. He added that he had been reassured by the encouraging words of the other residents, noting that their presence had offered him considerable comfort.
“My children did not know that I was living in a care home. I had chosen to keep it from them. At first, they did not accept it, but I told them it was better than loneliness or making the decision to remarry, which they would not have approved of,” Ammar said.
The conversations among the participants were soon interrupted by the announcement of the warm-up session. Various athletes took to the stage, sharing their experiences and reinforcing the idea that age is merely a number.
Among them were Nagwa Ghorab, an 80-year-old world swimming champion, Abla Salaheddin, born in 1945 and a celebrated figure in Egyptian basketball, and Seifallah Shahine, an athletics champion.
The athletes offered guidance on the importance of exercise, good sleep habits, and healthy eating. They led the warm-up for several minutes before the rally officially began.
As it set off, Hosni Saleh, 64, lent on his walking stick beside his wife Sabah. The couple had decided to attend after seeing an announcement online, but they were unable to take part in the walk itself, choosing instead to enjoy the atmosphere.
The participants moved forward at a gentle pace, some supporting one another, while those unable to walk were assisted by volunteers, all the while accompanied by applause and cheerful encouragement.
The event ended with no winners or losers. No one raced ahead of anyone else, and everyone emerged with a shared sense of joy, hope, and a chance to glimpse the brighter side of life.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 9 April, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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