Taylor’s College Students Create New Fund Raising Record
Kuala Lumpur, October 9, 2013 – Students of Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas Campus have set a new record for their fund raising efforts by securing RM37,000 in the latest edition of Jog for Hope 2013. More than tripling the initial target of RM10,000, the annual fund raiser which successfully gathered a total of 1,901 members of the Sri Hartamas community will benefit The Positive Shelter Home (POSHe).
Taylor’s College President, Mr. Lim Tou Boon expressed his admiration for the dedication of the committee. “I am very proud of the fact that our students have managed to push the boundaries and raise the bar yet again for Jog for Hope. At Taylor’s, we believe this invaluable hands-on experience our students gain Jog for Hope gives them the edge to stand out and take their place as productive leaders in the global community.” “In the process of nurturing the nation’s future leaders, we are so pleased to be able to help improve the quality of life for charitable organisations such as POSHe at the same time,” said Mr. Lim.
Led by Project Manager Syed Harris Umar bin Syed Hussain, Event Director, Melissa Lee Jia Yi, and Assistant Project Manager, Adeline Chiew Li Ying, the 24-strong organising committee of Jog for Hope 2013 were guided and mentored by their staff advisors for 7 months to make the event a success. The organising team, comprising students from Taylor’s College’s Sri Hartamas South Australian Matriculation, Cambridge A-Levels and International Baccalaureate Programme were actively involved in every aspect of the organising process including securing Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors, marketing and publicising the event and managing the registration of participants. 2
Founder of POSHe, Puan Wan Hava Wan Hussin expressed her gratitude for being selected as a beneficiary by Taylor’s College. “I am so overwhelmed with the support we have received from these young people and for including the children from this home in the run. I really thank Taylor’s College’s for their generosity which has truly lightened my burden. The proceeds will definitely help to cover various areas such as renovations, transportation costs when we ferry the children to the hospital for regular check-ups and grocery needs,” said Puan Hava. Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas Principle, Ms. Lauren Wilson, and Taylor’s College staff were in attendance to show their support for the annual event. The charity run was also graced by POSHe founder Puan Wan Hava Wan Hussin, accompanied by 12 children from the home who joined in the fun by participating in the 3km fun run. Consistent with previous years, participants were divided into three groups namely school, college or university and open category for male and female each with a choice of running the 3km, 6.5km or 10 km distance.
Recapping his experience in leading the Jog for Hope 2013 organising committee, Project Manager Syed Harris Umar bin Syed Hussain said, “The process of organising Jog for Hope 2013 was an interesting journey with a balance of fun and challenging moments. Each member played an important role particularly by engaging with our peers and going door-to-door to nearby retail outlets, schools, colleges and universities to promote Jog for Hope 2013.” “The challenge came about when we discovered the proposed event date and route clashed with four other runs. To overcome this, we made a collective decision to develop a new route which was also safer for our participants. As for the beneficiary of choice this year, we found out that POSHe was in the midst of moving to a new location but needed financial aid to ensure a safer environment through some restoration work,” explained the 18-year old.
Apart from developing of a new route, other enhancements the committee introduced this year included the marking of routes using colour coded flags to guide participants of various categories and an attractive registration package to attract companies to sign its employees in teams.
Dhaanyaa Patmanaban, who was the first to finish her 6.5km run in the school category, expressed her excitement about participating in the run for the third year in a row. “I participate in the Jog for Hope run every year. This would be my third year and I want to continue this tradition,” said the 16-year old.
POSHE is a non-governmental organisation which opened its doors in January 2010. The home is a safe haven for children and women living with HIV who are abandoned or from families incapable of taking care of them. POSHe currently cares for the welfare of 13 children, 9 of which are permanent residents. Depending solely on donations, POSHe currently has no monthly grants or consistent donations from any major corporate companies. Due to high rental charges of its current home, POSHe is expected to move into a newly donated ‘kampong’ house located in Meru, Klang by the end of 2013.
Jog for Hope 2013 awarded a total of 60 medals to the first five participants of each category. Every participant also took home a goody bag worth RM150 courtesy of the charity run’s 28 sponsors. Since its inception by the Tree Huggers Club in 2009, the charity run has grown to be a significant event gaining the interest and involvement of Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas students outside the club. To date, Taylor’s College has contributed a total of RM122,000 to various non-governmental organisations through Jog For Hope.
Last year, Taylor’s College raised RM29,000 for the Support for Parents, Infants and Children through Early Services (SPICES), an organisation aiding children with development or learning disabilities so that their full potential may be realised.
For more information on Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas, call 03 - 6203 0168, email [email protected] or visit www.taylors.edu.my. For details about POSHe call 016- 627 1883 (Puan Hava), or visit www.poshe.org.