$1.5 million raised in virtual charity race for cancer patients
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Mr Michael Astronomo ran wearing a personal protective equipment suit for 5km of his 33km route.
PHOTO: MICHAEL ASTRONOMO
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SINGAPORE - Over nine days, Mr Narayana Tummalapalli ran 52km in a route that formed the words "we can do it 4 u", as part of this year's Singtel-Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer.
"I wanted to make a message to society, that it was for everyone," he said.
The 36-year-old information technology specialist was one of 4,066 participants to raise funds for cancer patients and their families by submitting the routes that they covered between Sept 19 and Sept 27. There were also 192 teams taking part in the race.
This year's race was held in a virtual format because of the pandemic. Participants ran at their own time wherever they were, and clocked their distance and duration using a GPS-enabled app.
Each participant was tagged to a fund-raising amount, depending on the distance they registered for.
Over $1.5 million was raised, with more than 86,000 km covered.
With the new format, many got creative by donning costumes or running unconventional routes, like Mr Tummalapalli.
Mr Michael Astronomo, 39, ran about 5km of his 33km route wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) suit. It was not to guard against the coronavirus, but the rain at Mount Faber Peak.
"It was raining and cold," said Mr Astronomo. "It's impossible to run the whole distance wearing PPE."
The IT network and infrastructure professional provides support such as WiFi for individuals and front liners at a converted isolation facility.
"Even with the current Covid-19 situation, I wanted to show how the fight for cancer still goes on," he said.
According to the race website, 39 Singaporeans are diagnosed with cancer every day, while 15 Singaporeans die of it each day. One in four people here may develop cancer in his or her lifetime, it said.
Annually, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) needs $20 million to drive its programmes and services, and to create new initiatives, to continue improving the lives of people in the cancer community. More than 100,000 individuals benefit from SCS' outreach and support.
