COMMUNITY CHEST BENEFICIARIES TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS AT THE COMCHEST HEARTSTRINGS WALK 2012 VERTICAL MARATHON

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1 MEDIA RELEASE COMMUNITY CHEST BENEFICIARIES TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS AT THE COMCHEST HEARTSTRINGS WALK 2012 VERTICAL MARATHON SINGAPORE, JULY 10, year-old Kelvin Goh and 22-year-old Peter Kam have been training fortnightly since January this year to build up their mental resilience and confidence. When the pair heard of the opportunity to be part of the pioneer team of Community Chest beneficiaries to participate in the vertical marathon at the ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay, they agreed promptly. Like their teammates 20-year-old C Sharman Nair and 22-year-old Hadi Sufian Bin Zulkaffeli, Kelvin and Peter hope to inspire others with their determination to overcome their challenges. Kelvin sustained brain and right eye injuries after a road traffic accident more than 10 years ago. As a result of the accident, he has limited use of his right hand and has difficulties remembering and comprehending things. His friend, Peter, has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and mild spastic diplegia since birth, and had been using the walking aid until he was seven years old. Despite the challenges that both Kelvin and Peter faced, they are very upbeat and excited about their participation in the vertical marathon. Not only do they find the preparation process a very enriching experience, it has helped to build up their confidence, endurance and determination. Ms Lee Siew Hui, a senior social worker from Asian Women s Welfare Association (AWWA), has been working with the team to prepare them for the Mount Kinabalu expedition in June next year. She shared that they face difficulties with the coordination of their limbs and tend to tire more easily. Yet they remain committed to the training and are a close-knitted group, always spurring each other on. I am taking part in the vertical marathon to encourage other people with physical disabilities to step out and not let their condition restrict them. Besides the fortnightly training that AWWA has organised for us, I have also started climbing 40-storey buildings to prepare myself. I am determined to complete the vertical marathon come 26 August, said Peter, a beneficiary from AWWA TEACH ME Services, which is supported by Community Chest. COMMUNITY CHEST The NCSS Fund-raising Division 170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 Singapore Tel: Fax: comchest.sg

2 Participants will scale up 57 storeys of Tower Three of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and enjoy a bird s eye view of the Singapore skyline at Sands SkyPark after completing the vertical marathon. In addition, there will be a scenic 4km Charity Fun Walk held concurrently, which will start and end at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza. Participants will go past iconic landmarks like The Helix bridge, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Merlion Park and the Marina Bay City Gallery, which was made possible with the support from the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Members of the public can register for the walk and the vertical marathon online via the ComChest Heartstrings Walk s website at Mr George Tanasijevich, President and Chief Executive Officer for Marina Bay Sands, and Chairman of the ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay organising committee, said, Marina Bay Sands is proud to partner with Community Chest for the second year in a row to organise the ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay. Marina Bay Sands is committed to giving back to Singapore in substantial and creative ways, and having worked with Community Chest on numerous fund-raising events, it is natural to continue our partnership this year. Building upon the success of last year s event which raised over $1 million for Community Chest beneficiaries, we decided to open up the vertical marathon component not only to corporate organisations, but also to the general public. We strongly encourage the general public to donate generously towards this event, and join us for a great family day out at either the vertical marathon or at the walk around Marina Bay. ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay will also include a carnival at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza where the public can enjoy performances by Community Chest beneficiaries, massages and fringe activities like face painting, balloon sculpting and game stalls. This year, we hope to attract 6,000 participants for the ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay, and raise $1 million to help those in need. It is especially heartwarming that four of our beneficiaries will be taking up the challenge of scaling the vertical marathon and I appeal to big-hearted corporations and individuals to support our beneficiaries who are striving to overcome the many challenges in their lives, said Ms Tan Bee Heong, General Manager of Community Chest. 2

3 Details of the ComChest Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay are as follows: Event: Charity Fun Walk Date: 26 August 2012 (Sunday) Start Time: 7.30am Start Point: Marina Bay Sands, Event Plaza (Level One) Fee: $10 per participant (Includes a goodie bag worth over $40) Registration: Sign up online at (Registration ends 27 July 2012) Event: Vertical Marathon Date: 26 August 2012 (Sunday) Start Time: 7am Start Point: Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Level One outside Tower Three Registration: Sign up online at (Registration ends 27 July 2012) More information for the Charity Fun Walk and vertical marathon is attached. For media queries, please contact: Ms Chew Kia Huey Senior Executive Corporate Communications Division National Council of Social Service Tel: / chew_kia_huey@ncss.gov.sg Ms Goh Siew Hian Head Corporate Communications Division National Council of Social Service Tel: / goh_siew_hian@ncss.gov.sg Community Chest Community Chest raises funds on a yearly basis to meet the needs of the social service programmes we help support. Community Chest ensures that fund-raising and other operating costs are kept to a minimum. As these costs are covered mainly by Tote Board and Singapore Pools, every dollar raised by Community Chest will be made available to social service programmes under its care. Community Chest has made it easier for individuals to donate from the comfort of their homes via websites such as comchest.sg and through the internet (DBS, UOB or Citibank) or phone banking (DBS or POSB) and even at SAM machines and inets Kiosks across the island. Individuals can also reap tax benefits on donations through hassle-free modes like the Community Chest's monthly workplace giving programme SHARE, where employees make monthly donations 3

4 via GIRO, credit card or payroll and have his or her tax deductions automatically included in their tax assessments. Community Chest aims to raise $72.3 million this year to help support 82 charities in running 219 critical social service programmes. The funds raised will benefit over 300,000 people including children with special needs, youths-at-risk, persons with disabilities, lonely and frail elderly and families in need. Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd Marina Bay Sands is the leading business, leisure and entertainment destination in Asia. It features large and flexible convention and exhibition facilities, 2,560 hotel rooms and suites, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, the best shopping mall in Asia, worldclass celebrity chef restaurants and an outdoor event plaza. Its two theaters showcase a range of leading entertainment performances including world-renowned Broadway shows. Completing the line-up of attractions is ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands which plays host to permanent and marquee exhibitions. For more information, please visit Urban Redevelopment Authority The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore s national land use planning and conservation agency. URA s mission is to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play in. We strive to create a vibrant and sustainable city of distinction by planning and facilitating Singapore s physical development in partnership with the community. URA is the main land sales agent for the state and the development agency for Marina Bay. Our multifaceted engagement strategy includes the sale of state land to attract and channel private capital investment to develop sites for meeting our land use needs. To create an exciting cityscape, URA also actively promotes architecture and urban design excellence. For more information, please visit us at Issued by: Corporate Communications Division National Council of Social Service Tuesday, 10 July

5 Annex A About the Charity Fun Walk Participants will walk along the Waterfront Trail, which is a 4km route around Marina Bay (see map on the next page). The Charity Fun Walk will start and end at the event plaza in front of Marina Bay Sands. Registration is open to all and details can be found online via the ComChest Heartstrings Walk s website at The deadline for registration is 27 July Organisations sending teams for the walk may wish to put on outfits that depict the organisation s identity to inspire team spirit. Participants are also encouraged to dress in colourful fancy attire/costumes/outfits to add to the carnival atmosphere. There will be performances by Community Chest beneficiaries, massages and fringe activities like face painting, balloon sculpting and game stalls at the event plaza. Registration fee is at $10 per person and each registered participant will receive a Walk Pack containing their individual walk-bib, which they must wear during the walk. The Walk Pack can be collected on 11 and 12 August 2012 from 11am to 7pm at Wisma Atria Level 1 Atrium. Each registered participant can also redeem one goodie bag worth over $40 on the event day by producing his/her walk-bib. The goodie bag includes discount vouchers from Spectacle Hut, Julie biscuits (sample packs), Alicafe 3-in-1 coffee (sachet), MacCoffee 3-in-1 coffee mix (sachets, original and strong flavours), Gardenia raisin bun, bottled mineral water and face towel sponsored by Singapore Pools Pte Ltd. 5

6 Route for the Charity Fun Walk 6

7 Annex B About the Vertical Marathon Corporate teams will climb a total of 57 storeys of Tower Three at Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the finishing point will be at Sands SkyPark at Level 57. Registration is open to corporations and individuals who have made a donation of $2,000* to send a team of four who are at least 18 years old. There is no limit to the number of teams that each corporation can send. The deadline for registration is 27 July Each participant will be given a race bib with a timing chip to capture his/her timing. Each member of the team with the shortest combined timing to complete the vertical marathon will win prizes including a pair of shoes sponsored by Skechers and a $100 Hide Yamamoto food voucher. Members of the teams who finish as first and second runners-up, as well as the male and female participants with the fastest time, will also receive attractive prizes. Participants can also enjoy performances by Community Chest beneficiaries, massages and fringe activities like face painting, balloon sculpting and game stalls at the event plaza after their race. * All donations are entitled to a tax deduction of 2.5 times of the donation amount. 7