Corporate and community organisations stepped up their support for the 3rd edition of Project Happy Feet Slipper Race in Singapore, collectively raising in excess of SGD48,000 in cash to defray event costs, as well as contributing in kind to increase the value and visibility of the event through pre-event and on-site activities and goodie bag offerings.
The Project Happy Feet Slipper Race is Singapore’s only non-competitive 4km walk in slippers to fund-raise for education- and training-related programmes to empower the lives of underprivileged children in Singapore and overseas. The event was inspired by the many school children living in rural places in countries such as Cambodia who walk an average of 5km to school either barefooted or in slippers – if there is a school nearby. By getting participants to walk in a similar distance in slippers, organisers hope people will put themselves in the shoes (or slippers!) of these underprivileged children and do their part to contribute towards them having a chance at education. The event has now gone regional, with one held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and another in Cebu Island, Philippines this year to benefit local underprivileged children.
Organised entirely by volunteers and professionals on pro bono basis with the principle that 100% of registration fees, outright donations and spill-over sponsorship cash must be channeled to pre-identified beneficiaries, the event relies heavily on support from corporate and community groups.
Corporate organsiations that stepped forward and stepped up their support include returning partners Hewlett Packard Singapore, Ben & Jerry’s, Crocs Singapore and new partners Intune Music, Yang Films and Red Air Ship.
Hewlett Packard Singapore, the Principal Partner of the event for the second year running, repeated its 2012 contribution of SGD25,000 towards defraying the cost of the event. This year, members of the company’s employee-led Singapore Social Impact Committee will also rally fellow colleagues to volunteer and participate in the event, and will attempt to form a contingent of 500 people. It is also providing printing support for the event’s collaterals and will also provide free photo-printing service during the event.
“HP Singapore is proud to be the Principal Partner for Project Happy Feet Slipper Race once again. We hope to empower the volunteers organising the event to raise $200,000 to support underprivileged children in Singapore and Cambodia, and for our employees to be part of a movement to create positive social impact,” says Ms Jackie Yong, Chairperson of HP’s Singapore Social Impact Committee.
Ben & Jerry’s has supported the Slipper Race in Singapore since its inception in 2011. This year, Ben & Jerry’s went a step further and raised SGD8,421.75 for Project Happy Feet at its annual Free Cone Day held at its seven outlets islandwide in April. As a sponsor for the Slipper Race, Ben & Jerry’s will also be giving out 50% discount vouchers to all participants and volunteers of the event, and will also be running a social media campaign to give away 3,000 pairs of Ben & Jerry’s slippers to their fans who register for the event.
“At Ben & Jerry’s, apart from making the best possible ice cream in the nicest possible way, we also actively recognise the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the lives in the communities we operate in. We see Project Happy Feet doing just that, and that’s why we have been going the distance with them. This year, we are also going one step further to actively rally our fans for the slipper race,” says Jenalyn Liu, Brand Champion, Ben & Jerry’s Singapore.
Crocs Singapore is also doubling their support for the Slipper Race. Apart from giving away more than SGD20,000 worth of footwear and cash vouchers to reward participants for going the distance with Project Happy Feet and dedicating one of its outlets as the collection point for the race tags. It will also be presenting “HAPPY ZONE”, an area on the event ground dedicated to delight participants through fun activities so they get to learn about Project Happy Feet’s cause and win prizes sponsored by Crocs. This is the first time the Slipper Race has an interactive area on its event ground. In addition, Crocs Singapore will also be collecting preloved CrocsTM shoes on the event day as part of its Crocs Cares Refurbished Shoes program, a unique collaboration with Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the Yellow Ribbon Project and Crocs Singapore, where used CrocsTM shoes in wearable condition are refurbished and donated to partner charitable organizations for distribution to the less privileged locally and overseas. As a reward for doing good, Crocs will be giving away SGD$10 cash vouchers for every pair of used Crocs donated on the day.
“We are happy to have been part of the success of last year’s Slipper Race and we would like to be able to give more this year,” shares Lawrence Phua, General Manager of Crocs Southeast Asia. “We at Crocs Singapore would like to reward the supporters of the cause by giving them a chance to win Free Crocs Pairs during the race, rewarding our volunteers with vouchers, as well as extend our reach to the underprivileged through the participation of our CSR arm, Crocs Cares, in this year’s Slipper Race.”
Other returning partners include McDonald’s Singapore, ServeAd, B H S Kinetic, Into E Projects, Right Impact Training and Thinking Designs, among many others.
HAPPY FEET DANCE MOVEMENT
Going the distance for the first time are sponsors Intune Music, Yang Films and Red Air Ship. They have come together to produce a theme song “Tomorrow”, made a music video featuring a newly choreographed “HAPPY FEET DANCE”, and created a microsite www.dance.phfslipperrace.org to crowdsource home-made videos of people doing the HAPPY FEET DANCE or dancing to “Tomorrow” in their own way. Launched today, this dance movement aims to tap on online social media to generate publicity for the Slipper Race and also to raise awareness of the cause of Project Happy Feet. On the day of the Slipper Race, all participants will be invited to dance to “Tomorrow”. The mass dance will be filmed and featured alongside the submitted entries in a montage music video due for release in September. Project Happy Feet will also be contacting its friends and beneficiaries from Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Philippines and Singapore to submit their own videos for the music video as well, making it a truly international music video.
Apart from corporate organisations, community organisations have also firmed up their support for this unique fundraiser. Young NTUC returns as Youth Activist Partner to garner youth participation while South East Community Development Council returns once again with a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to SGD30,000.
Witnessing the cheque presentation at a Highlights video courtesy of Cheokboard Studios was Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Mayor of South East District and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development & Ministry of Defence. Not only has South East Community Development Council been the Community Partner for the event for three consequetive years, Mayor Maliki has also given his personal support by being the Guest-of-Honour for the Project Happy Feet Slipper Race every year, flagging off each edition and walking alongside the participants.
“I’m impressed by the high level of commitment and dedication the volunteers of Project Happy Feet have in making a difference to underprivileged children, not just in Singapore, but also overseas, through putting together this meaningful event. South East Community Development Council is pleased to support this ground-up initiative that have reached out to so many people from diverse backgrounds, bonding them together with a common cause of empowering lives, and forming a caring community,” says the Mayor.
Project Happy Feet Slipper Race Singapore 2013 will take place on 31 August 2013 at Angsana Green, East Coast Park, Singapore. Flag-off is at 8am. The beneficiaries for this year’s Slipper Race are This Life Cambodia (based in Siem Reap, Cambodia), Compassion Fund and the SPED Financial Assistance Scheme by Community Chest (both based in Singapore).
Registered participants can each look forward to receiving a goodie bag containing sponsored items with total value of more than SGD50, including the 2013 ‘HAPPY’ – the limited edition Slipper Race collectible. They can participate in a “Walking Quiz” and a treasure hunt en route to win prizes while being encouraged by volunteers performing a special cheer written by the Cheerleading Association (Singapore). After the race, they can enjoy a stage performances while relaxing on special Project Happy Feet picnic mats strewn all over the event ground.
Members of the public can now log on to http://www.phfslipperrace.org to register. Companies and community or interest groups are encouraged to participate as groups. A Team Code can be created so members of the same group can enter their assigned Team Code when registering online to be counted as part of their group. As in previous editions, a token will be presented on stage by the Guest-of-Honour to the three largest participating groups. New this year, Primary and secondary schools can also take advantage of the Junior Racers category. Students from these schools who register as a group pay on SGD10 per person. Participation fee is SGD35 per person. Registration closes 12 August 2013.
