Colleagues and their families clock almost 80,000 active hours, raising funds to forge a sustainable future with the disadvantaged
Mr Wee Ee Cheong, UOB’s Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (centre), and UOB senior leaders rally colleagues, their families and customers globally to support the community through the UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk
UOB colleagues, their families and customers across 17 markets1 united to raise a record $1.86 million for charities through the Bank’s flagship annual fund-raising event, the UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk. The funds raised will be donated to 25 charities2 around the world to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and vulnerable communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Singapore, the money raised through the UOB Heartbeat Fund will provide financial support for beneficiaries including Rare Disease Fund, Children's Wishing Well, The Red Pencil and President's Challenge to aid children and youths from low-income families and those suffering from rare genetic diseases. The funds will also go towards organising activities to improve the lives of parents and children from disadvantaged families such as art therapy sessions and workshops to equip them with digital skills and cyber wellness knowledge.
Mr Wee Ee Cheong, UOB’s Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The giving nature of UOB colleagues, their families and customers has been the constant driving force behind our efforts to help those in need within our communities. In this time of exceptional challenges, I am heartened by and grateful to the UOB family and our customers for going the extra mile in this year’s UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk. The record amount that we raised collectively will hopefully make a meaningful difference to the lives of those impacted by COVID-19, especially disadvantaged children and vulnerable members of our communities.”
This year marks the 15th edition of UOB’s annual flagship volunteerism and fundraising event and the second time it is being held virtually for participants globally to take part safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on last year’s successful event, UOB expanded the participation criteria for this year’s two-month virtual event to encourage colleagues and their families to accumulate active hours through various fitness activities including running, ball games, yoga and more. By enabling participants to choose their favourite physical activity, the UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk inspired colleagues to stay active for a good cause while taking care of their mental well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective spirit of UOB colleagues saw participants clocking almost 80,000 active hours, surpassing the Bank’s target by more than 50 per cent.
As part of UOB’s commitment to forge a sustainable future, the Bank also launched the UOB Heartbeat Pledge to encourage colleagues to do good and to go green through thoughtful personal actions at home or at work. UOB colleagues contributed more than 3,700 pledges in July and August with the aim of conserving resources, reducing waste and uplifting communities which are aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For example, some UOB employees have pledged to reduce their shower time by two minutes, potentially saving 1,785 litres of water each time, while others are committed towards choosing energy efficient devices and household appliances, reducing unnecessary printing and acting with kindness and compassion.
Mr Nishant Kharangarh, 43, a UOB colleague from Singapore who was one of the top contributors of this year’s event, clocked a total of 301 hours in July and August, said, “The UOB Global Heartbeat Virtual Run/Walk is an event that I hold close to my heart because it reminds us that giving can be simple yet meaningful. I was ecstatic to know that this year’s event was expanded to include all forms of fitness activities as I am big on a variety of exercises including hiking, yoga and playing badminton. Not only has the event motivated me to push my limits to become fitter but also enabled me to contribute in little ways and to do my part to give back to the community.”
The meaningful difference that UOB makes through its annual event is summed up by Mrs Laura Hwang, Chairperson, Rare Disease Fund Committee, said, “Lifelong medications to treat rare diseases are expensive and can cost up to hundreds and thousands of dollars each year for a patient. Donations to the Rare Disease Fund will build a funding model that is sustainable for the long term, so that we can assure qualified patients of our continued support for them. We are so very grateful for UOB’s support during these tumultuous times. We hope that this will encourage other generous contributions from the public so that new conditions and medications can be added to benefit even more patients.”
1 The 17 markets are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vietnam
2 Refer to Appendix for details of charities
