Cancer centre raises $100k for ST School Pocket Money Fund

The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund general manager Tan Bee Heong with OncoCare Cancer Centre chief executive Tay Miah Hiang (centre) and chief operating officer Peter Ang yesterday. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The Covid-19 outbreak did not deter OncoCare Cancer Centre staff from walking 8,000km to raise $100,000 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The fund-raising walk was also part of a staff-bonding activity, which took place between Nov 1 and Dec 15 last year.

Founders of OncoCare, Dr Tay Miah Hiang and Dr Peter Ang, presented a cheque for $100,000 to Ms Tan Bee Heong, general manager of the fund, yesterday at the OncoCare Cancer Centre in Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.

Founded in 2007, OncoCare is a private healthcare provider that offers cancer treatment and conducts research to improve the future of cancer care.

It treats more than 30,000 patients yearly and currently has seven centres in Singapore.

Due to the pandemic, Dr Tay said the company did not hold any staff activities for the whole of last year, "so we thought why not have a fund raiser that focuses on creating opportunities for staff to bond as well".

He added: "We came up with Bright Future Move where staff had to go for walks or runs with colleagues in groups of three to five, following government social distancing measures, of course."

Dr Ang said: "We chose to work with ST School Pocket Money Fund as we believe they will manage our donation well and ensure it reaches those who need it most."

For the charity cause, staff tracked the distance they covered using running apps on their smartphones.

To motivate them, incentives were given to the top three groups and individuals who covered the most distance, and for the most creative running route.

Mr Wallace Chai Chung Yee, a staff nurse at OncoCare, topped everyone by running 800km for the cause.

"I love running. I feel happy and proud to use my hobby to help those in need," he said, adding that the staff will take part in similar events in the future and continue to give back to society.

The ST fund, which was launched on Children's Day on Oct 1, 2000, has since disbursed more than $80 million, helping some 180,000 students from low-income families.

According to Ms Tan, the fund raised about $14 million last year and helped more than 10,000 students through giving them pocket money and special payouts amid the outbreak.

"We are thankful for this timely donation as we have seen a spike in people reaching out to us for help, especially since we are facing a pandemic," she said.

Luqmanul Hakim

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 09, 2021, with the headline Cancer centre raises $100k for ST School Pocket Money Fund. Subscribe