This One’s for the Children

Events & Activities, Health, Parenting & Children — By Sofianna on July 16, 2012 3:13 pm

Staying true to its company focus of developing fulfilling lifestyles among families, AIA Singapore raised over $100,000 for CCF through employee-driven community initiatives.

$4.5 million is spent annually to fund critical programmes and services for children with cancer, as well as assist their families in coping with expenses. AIA Singapore, with its focus on protecting and encouraging fulfilling family lifestyles, aims to alleviate some of the financial responsibilities of its supporting charity, the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF), through various employee-driven initiatives.

The biggest contributor among these initiatives is the Hair for Hope (HfH) programme, with over $50,000 in donations collected online. The overwhelming support has led to an extension of the fund-raising effort till the end of August this year, with AIA pledging an additional $25,000 to the cause. As of 21 June 2012, the company is proud to announce that it has raised a total of $118,000 for CCF through various fund-raising activities.

AIA Singapore - Father (Kelvin Ong) and son (Damian Ong) Father and son duo, Kelvin and Damian Ong, shaving their heads for charity at the HfH programme.

Other charity events supported by AIA are:

Angels Charity Bazaars (25 – 29 May 2012) – Various AIA offices across the island hosted charity bazaars, with staff setting up stalls to sell a wide range of goods and services, such as food, hand-made jewellery and even tarot-card readings. Proceeds from the bazaars were in excess of $40,000.

AIA Pledge for L.I.F.E (28 April – 17 July 2012) – AIA Pledge for L.I.F.E (Living it Fully Everyday) is an interactive Facebook contest that encourages Singaporeans to improve their lifestyles and seize the moment when they can. Every pledge then invites friends and family to support them through incentives, encouragement and donations to CCF. The current numbers stand at over 160 pledges and 77,000 votes, and counting.

Jurong Lake Run 2012 (8 July 2012) – The Jurong Lake Run (JLR) 2012 is an annual volunteer-initiated event. Supported by both AIA Singapore and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Tharman Shamugaratnam (Advisor to Jurong GRC Grassroots Organisations), the JLR 2012 is a family-oriented event that is open to all. A significant amount of the proceeds collected during the run is then donated among seven charities, one of which is the CCF.

New activities for the children of CCF are also in the pipeline, with AIA Singapore planning Children’s Day and Christmas celebrations for later in the year.

AIA Singapore - AIA CEO (Tan Hak Leh) presenting cheque to CCF (Michelle Koh) Mr. Tan Heck Leh, Chief Executive Officer, AIA Singapore, presenting the cheque to Michelle Koh, Committee Member of the Children’s Cancer Foundation

During the cheque presentation ceremony, Ms. Neo Lay Tin, Executive Director of CCF, expressed her gratitude for all the effort put in by AIA management, staff and associates. Mr. Tan Heck Leh, Chief Executive Officer, AIA Singapore, added “Our support for the Children’s Cancer Foundation is an extension of AIA Singapore’s promise to protect Singaporeans across generations and encourage fulfilling lifestyles among families. I am heartened by the enthusiasm and commitment of our employees going the extra mile in the spirit of charity… the close collaboration across departments is a reminder to all of us about how we achieve more when we work together to achieve a common goal.”