SINGAPORE - This year's Bizad Charity Run, an annual event organised by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, has raised more than $140,000 for students of Assumption Pathway School (APS) and financially needy NUS business undergraduates.

The run on Saturday evening, in its fifth year, attracted more than 1,300 staff, students and alumni of the NUS Business School.

The runners include Ms Lim Heem Wei, the first Singaporean gymnast to have competed in the Olympic Games and Mr Shariff Abdullah, who runs with a prosthetic blade and is called Singapore's "blade runner".

Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo, who graced the event, said she was told the run has raised more than half a million dollars since its inception.

"But more important than the funds raised is the spirit of making an effort to reach out and touch someone else's life," said Mrs Teo. "It is this spirit that I hope we can strengthen, as the school celebrates (its) jubilee year and as Singaporeans collectively celebrate SG50. It is the spirit of setting aside time and energies for others even as we pursue our own goals, and a spirit of sharing what we have with others who have less."

Ms Chua Beng Hwee, chairman of this year's NUS Bizad Charity Run, said: "As NUS Business School marks its 50th anniversary, we believe it is fitting to kick off the year's festivities by coming together to pay it forward to the community. For this year's edition of the NUS Bizad Charity Run, our focus is on helping underprivileged youths in Singapore achieve success."

"We are thus donating some $40,000 to APS to further encourage APS students to dream big despite the challenges they face."

APS provides students between 13 and 19 with a four-year vocational programme. Upon completion, they obtain an Institute of Technical Education skills certificate in their chosen vocational skill.