SINGAPORE - Those who are exercising at home during this circuit breaker period will be able to walk for a good cause this month with the launch of WeWalk for SG, an online charity mass walk to help those in need during the Covid-19 crisis.
Organised by Philotimo, a group of Hwa Chong alumni, WeWalk for SG is aimed at helping needy families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. It also hopes to involve Singaporeans here and abroad to play their part in showing appreciation to front line workers.
Participants can walk in their own homes from May 23 to 31 at their own pace and time, and the walk records can be automatically uploaded to its web platform via its app.
To get others on board, a group of Hwa Chong alumni has pledged to donate $35,000 to the appointed charities if all participants complete more than 20 million steps over the nine-day period. Other prominent alumni and former staff such as Hon Chiew Weng, its former principal, have already expressed an interest in taking part.
Proceeds from the fundraising campaign, which is on giving.sg, will go toward Child At Street 11, which provides childcare and early education to children from underprivileged families, and Brahm Centre, which promotes mental health mainly among the needy elderly.
The initiatives' event ambassadors include Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport, and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng, artiste Mark Lee, radio personality Chung Kun Wah and former national gymnast Lee Hong Chuang. They will help to rally people to join the walk or make donations.
Baey said: "I am happy to join my fellow alumni for a worthy cause and to keep fit during this circuit breaker period too. Whether financial or non-financial, any support will go a long way to show our solidarity."
Teo Ho Pin, mayor of North West District, said he was heartened to see this initiative, adding: "The North West Community Development Council will rally our network of North West Brisk Walking Club members to support the initiative, while keeping fit and championing a meaningful cause."
Lim Jew Pean, one of the founders of the movement, said: "We understand that for some who have not tried, it is not easy to keep walking for an hour or so within the confines of home in consecutive days.
"We encourage every participant to nevertheless set a challenging target to appreciate that there are others out there with more daunting challenges today."
Registration for WeWalk for SG starts on Monday (May 18). Visit this website for more information.
