Six families who first met because their children went to the same pre-school got on so well they stuck together for several years, taking turns to attend birthday parties of their children, going for holidays, and even doing community service overseas.
Now they have one more good reason to hang out – Project Happy Feet Slipper Race.
The families not only signed up as one big team, but also helped to promote the annual non-competitive walk in slippers to their friends and colleagues.
“For us, we have been contributing to old folks home. When we heard that Project Happy Feet is having the Slipper Race for the 2nd time, we are happy to bring the family to join in the walk. We want our children to understand how fortunate they are,” says Mrs Sophia Teo who works in the financial services industry. “We think our friends’ children can learn from the meaningful experience as well, so we encouraged them to bring their children as well for this walk.”
The Project Happy Feet Slipper Race 2012 aims to raise SGD250,000 for education of underprivileged children in Singapore and Cambodia.
“We are privileged to play a role in these children’s life journey by providing them comfort and courage in their first steps of their learning adventure,” says Mr Y L Lim, who works in the chemicals industry.
“This is a group effort and we feel privileged and fortunate to be able to contribute in such a way,” says Mrs Angelia Chin, who works in a medical devices company.
The idea of signing the families up for the event was first mooted by the Lian family.
“We know the founders of Project Happy Feet and know that they are real people with sincere intentions and who are fully committed to their cause. We are inspired and want to help be a channel to share this cause so there can be many more supporters joining in to make a difference to the beneficiaries,” says Mr Joseph Lian, who hails from an ID electronics company. “We will continue to give as long as we are able to do so.”
“We missed the PHF Slipper Race last November as we were away in Cambodia visiting a children’s home where we packed little gifts with other donations we brought from home for the kids. Seeing the poverty makes us appreciate and treasure what we have and spurred us on to continue this meaningful cause to bless the less fortunate,” says Mrs Toh Chin Sien of an international public accounting firm. “We are glad that we can help make a difference, however small, to the lives of the beneficiaries.”
“We participated in the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race last year and we felt that it was a meaningful event. We got to help others while spending time bonding with family and friends,” says Mr Roland Lim, an entrepreneur. “And that’s why our family readily supported the event again this year, and we plan to continue supporting this event into the future as well.”
Look out for this extended family of friends and their children at the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race on 4 November. Registration for the Slipper Race closes 21 October. Sign your family up today at www.phfslipperrace.org
