Dynasty Hotel managing director Tony Pui (third left) handing over a check to Betty Pong, a representative of Miri Home for the Aged, as others look on. Fatimah is at fourth right.
MIRI: The 14th edition of the Dynasty Charity Run was deemed a huge success as 2,310 participants from all walks of life turned up for the annual event which was held in front of Dynasty Hotel.
This year’s runners came from 11 countries including Malaysia, Brunei, Germany, England, India, New Zealand, Portugal, the Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah who was the event’s special guest in her speech, lauded Dynasty Hotel for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) effort to reach out to those in need.
“The funds raised from the run will be put in Dynasty’s welfare fund which mainly contributes to those in need during every festivity – Chinese New Year, Gawai Dayak and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“More importantly, through these charity events, the message that we are trying to send out to the public is that there is no boundary when it comes to helping people — it is the love and care for each other that has brought everyone here today,” Fatimah said.
The event which was also attended by Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin; Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus; Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau and Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting also saw each of these people’s representative pledging a total of RM65,000 to the charity run.
Of the sum, Fatimah had pledged RM15,000 from her Minor Rural Project (MRP) fund while Ahmad Lai, Lee, Rosey, Dennis and Ting each pledged RM10,000.
Five non-governmental organisations which were adopted as beneficiaries — Pibakis Miri, Morsjaya Community-based Rehabilitation Centre, Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Dialysis Centre, Sarawak Society for the Blind (Miri branch) and the Home for the Aged — each received RM5,000.
A sixth beneficiary, Sarawak Cochlear Implant Society, received a RM10,000 donation a week prior to the event to help two-year-old Noor Batrisyia who urgently needs to get a cochlear implant.
Meanwhile, Eric Khoo and Steven Tan each won their respective category for collecting the most funds for this year’s fundraising activity.
In the ‘Public’ category, Khoo successfully raised RM11, 000, receiving a return ticket for two to Kuala Lumpur for his efforts. In the ‘Staff’ category, Tan successfully collected RM1,000. He received a return ticket for two to Kuching.