Over 4,500 walkers and about 400 donors answered the call to do good for humanity through Maybank’s ‘Walk for Humanity’, a virtual charity walk cum online donation event organised by Maybank Singapore to support local and regional humanitarian efforts of the Singapore Red Cross (SRC). The charity campaign has raised approximately S$265,000 to date, including a S$200,000 donation by Maybank.
The virtual walk was held from 20 February to 20 March 2022 via the 42Race platform. Maybank pledged to donate S$10 for every kilometre clocked by participants of the virtual walk, capped at S$150,000. The initial target distance of 15,000km was achieved within a week of the event. Maybank upped the target to 100,000km with an additional donation of S$50,000. At the end of the Walk, enthusiastic participants clocked an impressive total of 230,100km. Maybank is pleased to donate S$200,000 for humanitarian aid for communities affected by the floods in Malaysia and Typhoon Rai in the Philippines.
Maybank Singapore and SRC appreciate the philanthropic efforts of members in the community who have given their tremendous support through taking time to clock steps and donating generously.
While the virtual walk has ended on 20 March 2022, members of the public can still make an online donation on the Giving.sg fundraising page to support SRC till 31 March 2022. Donations on Giving.sg are eligible for tax-deductions in Singapore.
Singapore Red Cross’ ElderAid and HoME+ Programmes
All online donations will go towards Singapore Red Cross’ local programmes for vulnerable seniors who are living on their own, such as ElderAid, TransportAid and Home Monitoring and Eldercare system (HoME+), helping them in the areas of befriending and wellness, transportation, healthcare and home safety services.
Mdm Subathra D/O Manikam, 68, is one of the beneficiaries from the Singapore Red Cross’ ElderAid and HoME+ programme. She stays alone and is battling a host of medical conditions. Donations from charity initiatives such as Walk for Humanity help to fund programmes for vulnerable seniors like Mdm Subathra so that they feel safer knowing that help will always be around the corner. The HoME+ solution leverages motion-sensing technology to detect movements and alert community responders in the event of unusual patterns or inactivity, or when users activate the panic button.
She said, “As the HoME+ system monitors my movements, it alerts the responders if there is any inactivity. When I was sitting by my window for quite some time, they called me to check if I was alright. I am very thankful they called to check up on me. Some elderly may perceive that they are safe living alone. But as age catches up with them, they are no longer as steady or as mobile as they used to be. The HoME+ system also provides a safety net in case of emergencies.”
Doing their part for the Walk for Humanity 2022
Ms Joyce Siaotong, 49, a regular runner and a SRC blood donor participated actively in the Walk and fulfilled the personal target she has set for herself. She said, “Running for a good cause was very fulfilling and at the same time it motivates me to wake up early and keep moving to stay healthy. I was inspired when I first saw the charity campaign. Having been a blood donor with the Singapore Red Cross for almost three years, it was my pleasure to participate. Since the duration was almost a month, I planned my schedule to run or hike solo before and after work.”
Mr Lawrence Choo, 44, a staff of Maybank Singapore also contributed his time and energy, and got his friends and family to join him for the Walk event. He said, “It is for a good cause to help humanitarian efforts. I exercise regularly, therefore to me it is merely clocking my mileage on the record, and it is rewarding to know that I can channel what I do for a good cause. I have also signed up for an internal staff donation challenge and will be donating to SRC.”
Dr John Lee, Country CEO and CEO of Maybank Singapore, said, “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude towards members of the public who participated and donated to support the vulnerable communities locally and regionally through Maybank’s Walk for Humanity. The past two years have been a very challenging time for Singapore and our neighbouring countries. Despite the pandemic, I’m glad that Maybank Singapore was still able to conduct a virtual walk to raise funds to support communities in need, as well as to promote healthier lifestyles. To make the Walk more meaningful, some of our participants started their own fundraising campaign to get others to donate as they walked, and this created more awareness of the good work that the Singapore Red Cross is doing. Maybank will continue to play our role as a financier and an active corporate citizen to roll out charitable initiatives to improve the lives of the vulnerable groups in our community.”
Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General and CEO of the Singapore Red Cross, “We thank Maybank Singapore for its partnership for humanity. We are grateful to all who took time to walk for humanity and the many donors for their support towards our local and international humanitarian efforts. The funds raised will enable us to continue delivering essential services, and to scale up much-needed humanitarian services to mitigate the impact of Covid-19. Beyond fundraising, the publicity generated from the event increased awareness not just of our causes but also, the social needs on the ground. This will help engender a more gracious and kinder community.”
To make a donation to support Singapore Red Cross’ local programmes, please visit https://www.giving.sg/singapore-red-cross-society/walkforhumanity.
For more information on #WalkForHumanity, please visit https://web.42race.com/race-bundle/walkforhumanity-2022. You can also find out more on Maybank Singapore’s official Instagram page @MaybankSG or Facebook page @MaybankSingapore.
Images: Maybank Walk for Humanity
