Into its eighth edition this year, the annual National University of Singapore (NUS) Bizad Charity Run (BCR) 2018 flagged off on 13 January, with more than 1,500 participants.
Organised by the NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA), students of NUS Bizad Club and supported by the Global Alumni Network Office (GANO), the run raised over S$125,000 to support student activities, bursaries, scholarships such as the NUSBSA Bursary Fund and NUS Business Student Support Fund . In addition, S$30,000 was raised for adopted external beneficiary, The Food Bank Singapore. Minister of Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung attended the event as the Guest-of-Honour.
Chairman of the charity run for the second year, Mr Ow Tai Zhi, an alumnus of NUS Business School, said, “Helming this event allows me to give back to my alma mater beyond monetary contributions. It is also a chance for me to interact and mentor current students in a fun environment. When I was a student, I had limited means to make a strong impact in helping my peers who faced financial challenges. By leading the charity run, I’m pleased to be able to play a part in raising funds for my juniors, and extending that to support meaningful causes that is integral to NUS Business School’s core values like teamwork and care.”
Together with The Food Bank Singapore, BCR 2018’s theme centred on building awareness about food wastage reduction and a collective effort to make a difference to the less fortunate who may worry about their next meal.
Ms Margarita Seah, Management Associate of The Food Bank Singapore said, “We are encouraged that our new programme Breakfast at The Food Pantry will directly benefit from the support of NUS Business School. Besides providing free breakfasts and a healthy food bundle for our beneficiaries, the programme will also educate them about nutrition intake and the importance of a balanced diet through easy-to-cook meals.”
According to The Food Bank Singapore, about one third of the food purchased in Singapore is thrown away, translating into thousands of dollars worth of food waste annually and adding to the environmental pollution food waste causes.
This year, besides the signature NUS Kent Ridge Campus route, participants in the 10km Competitive Run ran through the West Coast Park as part of a new addition to the route. Participants in the 5km Fun Run not only took on the slopes within the NUS campus, they also experienced three activity stations along their route:
- Hands for Hope – an artwork that crowdsourced participants’ help to fingerprint on the canvas;
- POP! – a fun activity for participants to take a swing at hanging piñatas; and
- Photo booths to create meaningful and lasting memories.
Student Project Director Mr Oh Chin Keong said, “The annual NUS Bizad Charity Run embodies the values of giving back to the community, and encourages the community to be fit and have fun at the same time. Besides raising funds for our beneficiaries, we’ve had running clinics conducted for running enthusiasts and a volunteer session held at Food Bank Singapore. Having come from a family that often had to struggle to make ends meet, I am pleased this event helps to create positive impact for all beneficiaries and participants.”
Congratulations to all runners for completing the race even though there was a drizzle and the route was more slippery than usual.
