SINGAPORE - For the past 33 years, Mr Alan Lee has been running a company that provides eco-friendly urban landscaping, waterproofing, drainage, green roofs and more.
But he thinks it is high time he contributes to sustainability in another area - youth and education.
Said the founder of Elmich: "We are in the business of sustainability and being environmentally friendly. And to be sustainable, we also need to 'sustain' the youth."
Together with his business partner Michael Teh, Mr Lee decided to donate $30,000 to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF).
The duo presented a cheque to Ms Tan Bee Heong, general manager of the fund at Elmich's year-end dinner at the Singapore Island Country Club on Wednesday (Dec 5).
"This is our way of investing in the next generation," said Mr Lee.
About half the donation came from Elmich and the other half from Nature Landscapes, a landscaping and gardening company which is also owned by Mr Lee, 67, and Mr Teh, 65.
Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media Group and editor of The Straits Times, said: "We are most grateful for this thoughtful donation from a local business seeking to help others in the community."
Added Mr Fernandez, who is the fund's chairman: "We need many kind and considerate business leaders to pitch in to be able to raise enough to provide for the children who turn to us for help each year."
Ms Tan said the donation was a "wonderful gesture", adding: "We hope this will set an example for other local companies to step forward and support our needy children."
Elmich's projects include South-east Asia's largest green roof at Universal Studios Singapore in Sentosa and the world's largest green wall project at Institute of Technical Education Central Campus.
At the Enterprise 50 (E50) awards this year, the company was the inaugural winner of the Special Recognition Award - Enterprise Transformation, which recognises businesses which have managed to transform themselves to be innovative and future-ready.
The E50 awards are jointly organised by The Business Times and KPMG in Singapore.
Mr Lee was also named in luxury lifestyle magazine The Peak's Power List this year, which focused on movers and shakers in ecological sustainability.
