SINGAPORE - They are the co-official title sponsors of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and on the day the new season kicked off on Saturday (March 31), life insurance company Great Eastern gave generously to a good cause when it raised $169,085 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (SPMF).
After the final whistle blew at the National Stadium for the end of the Community Shield Game between Albirex Niigata and Tampines Rovers, won 2-1 by the White Swans, Great Eastern group CEO Khor Hock Seng presented the cheque to Gerard Ee, a member of the Board of Trustees for Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
The match was watched by President Halimah Yacob and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of Great Eastern and it is celebrating the milestone by launching Great Eastern Cares, its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Great Eastern Cares will lend greater focus to the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts and programmes to promote active volunteerism and caring for the community among its 3,800 staff and 23,000-strong agency force across the Group.
The Community Shield is the first of a series of Great Eastern Cares' initiatives. The company leveraged on the local football season's curtain raiser to raise $169,085 from its corporate partners, staff and agency force for the SPMF, which supports 14,000 needy schoolchildren.
To symbolically launch Great Eastern Cares, 450 members of the company, its business partners, SPMF beneficiaries and community football clubs gathered at the National Stadium to form the numerals '110'.
The company's volunteers also befriended and hosted over 300 beneficiaries and families from the SPMF at the Great 110 Football Fiesta at the National Stadium where 110 children played in a friendly football tournament.
To further commemorate Great Eastern's 110th anniversary, Great Eastern General Insurance offered fans at the stadium an exclusive 50 per cent off its travel plan TravelE@sy. In addition, the first 110 customers to purchase the plan will receive a one-year complimentary HomeGR8 insurance plan.
Great Eastern's group CEO Khor said: "Great Eastern has a longstanding tradition of giving back to the community. We are committed to empowering the community to live healthier and better. We believe in making a positive difference in the communities we work in and adding values to the lives around us.
"As we celebrate our 110th anniversary this year, it is timely for us to reinforce our commitment to continue our tradition of making a meaningful difference in the community."
Tan Bee Heong, general manager of SPMF added: "This is the highest amount donated by Great Eastern (GE). We are thankful to GE for choosing ST's SPMF as the first charity partner for the launch of GE Cares."
