More than 11,000 United Overseas Bank (UOB) employees, their families and customers, participated in the annual UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk events held in six markets in Asia, namely China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Together, they raised 28,368,237 baht (S$1.1 Million) which will go towards improving the lives of children in Asia who are underprivileged or have special needs.
In Thailand, the annual event was held at Lumpini Park where more than 1,800 runners and walkers ran or walked a 5 km or 2.5 km route. A mainstay in the Bank’s calendar, the UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk embodies its key corporate social responsibility focus on children, education and art.
In the areas of children and education, the funds raised will go towards initiatives such as early intervention programmes for children with special needs through various charities for children throughout Asia.
In Thailand, the more than 1.7 million baht raised will go into enhancing initiatives of “Phra Dabos School” in providing occupational education for underprivileged youth, giving them the opportunity to learn a vocation such as car maintenance, motorcycle repair and agricultural machinery repair to support themselves. Accompanied by bank employees and their families, representatives and “students” from “Phra Dabos School” also participated in the UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk.
Mr Peter Foo, the Chief Executive Officer of UOB (Thai) said “At UOB, sharing our success with the communities in which we work is important. As bankers, we have the opportunity to touch lives, and this is a privilege we hold in high regard. Behind this one-day event, are thousands of UOB employees across the region, coming together to volunteer their time and effort to raise funds to help the less fortunate. I am encouraged and energised by my colleagues’ enthusiasm to come together as one bank to build a better future for difference parts of society who may have less access to opportunities to better themselves.