Sheila (seventh left) in a photo call with PCAM staff and volunteers — organising committee members for the Run For Love project.
MIRI: Caring public in and outside Miri successfully helped raised some RM60,000 for the Palliative Care Association of Miri (PCAM) through its recent charity “Run for Love’ event held at Marina Park here.
Organising chairwoman Vivien Sheila thanked all including sponsors and volunteers in making the event a success including raising the much needed fund to help finance PCAM various activities
“We raised some RM60,000 which included donations from friends and families and others for the run after deduction of cost.
“PCAM really appreciates all contributions and support given during the charity run to raise much needed funds to meet the association’s RM300,000 yearly expenses to carry out our core duties in caring for and supporting the terminally ill and their families in and around Miri,” said Vivien when contacted yesterday.
She added that apart from individuals and the 1,400 runners, there were twenty-four corporations, establishments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helping in the run, which is PCAM’s major annual fundraising project.
Among the corporations involved were Samling Group of Companies and Pantai Bayu Indah Sdn, the traffic police, Search and Rescue (PSG) , hotels such as Imperial, Dynasty, Mega, Parkcity Everly and Grand Palace, NGOs such as the Miri Red Crescent, Miri Amateur Radio Club, Ironleg Marathon Club that handled the technical services as well as individuals such as Frankie Chieng of Ayam Brand that provided 600 burgers and 400 baked beans for volunteers.
Sheila hoped that the public would continue to support all PCAM’s programmes, stressing that only through public support can the association remains relevant in providing free services to its target groups.
She said among their programmes besides providing free nursing services, were providing loan of medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ripple mattresses, hospital beds and nebulizer machines.to the terminally ill patients, mostly cancer patients.
At the same time PCAM relies on public funding for training of its nurses and staff and pay for their salaries, and the housing loan for PCAM’s Day Care Centre at No. 406, Jalan Taman Piasau Edar, Piasau Garden which operates every Tuesday from 9am to noon.
Among the activities held there are massage, handicraft making, symptom assessment and gatherings for patients and families as well as volunteers.
Presently the centre is providing services to 70 patients in Miri city and another 25 others who are staying outside the city.