KOTA KINABALU: Vino Vino Bistro at KK Times Square here recently donated RM1,500 to the Sepilok Orang Utan Centre in Sandakan.
The donation was collected from tickets for its charity dinner which was held in conjunction with the Miss Bikini Finland 2012 dinner hosted by Vino Vino on Thursday.
During the dinner, Vino Vino Bistro auctioned off several bottles of fine aged whiskey and proceeds from the auction will also be donated to the rehabilitation centre for Orang Utans.
The mock cheque was presented to Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan by Vino Vino’s Director of Operations Johnson Or and the simple ceremony was witnessed by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, City Hall Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir and Sabah Gerakan Chairman Datuk Gordon Leong.
Dr Sen when met after the ceremony said the donation was very much appreciated as Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre requires about RM60,000 a month to operate.
“The expenses are for, among others, salaries, utilities, medicine and food for the orang utans as most of those referred to the centre are young orphans. Some of them are sensitive to the baby formula that we feed them.
“There are some who are lactose intolerant and are only fed fresh goat’s milk which is expensive,” he said, adding that there is a need to cater specifically for each baby orang utan so that they can survive.
“I thank those for taking up the noble cause of donating to the centre as they have helped to ease its burden,” Dr Sen said.
He also thanked the orgnisers of the Miss Bikini Finland 2012 and its contestants for bringing Finland to Sabah.
Vino Vino Bistro has established a name for itself in the wine and dining business since its inception a few years ago.
It carries a wide range of imported wines and is also the place to discover new wineries and their products.