#R2FR: Cycle Uncles 2.0

Speaking with Mr Jimmy Kwang, a team member of Cycle Uncles 2.0, we learned what
drives him to give back to the community. 

CRS: How did you find out about RFR?

JK: I got to know RFR from a team member, who has been a regular rider for many years. As friends, we all supported him as an individual rider. Only last year did we officially form a team together. We thought that doing things together as a group was more exciting and that together as a team, we could contribute back to the community more significantly.

CRS: How big is your team and are you inviting more friends to join you by signing up for RFR?

Jimmy (left) with members of Cycle Uncles 2.0

JK: This year, our team has expanded to 6 members - an addition of 2 from 2022. We are all friends who share similar traits; former IBMers & colleagues from the same exercise groups on Sundays. Chin Hui and I have been friends for at least 20 years. Although we have moved on to different careers and lives, we continue to keep in contact as a group and try to meet at least once a week to keep fit and have makan sessions together.

CRS: What is your/your team’s training routine?

JK: We don’t have a fixed routine, but we do try to alternate our activities every week - between riding, cycling, and brisk walking. We typically cycle casually for 35-40km around East Coast Park (ECP) or the PCN route. Other times, our cycling route would either be along the east, towards Changi Village, or westbound towards Kallang. It always varies because we like to search for eatery spots. However, we do cycle very early in the morning so some eateries may not be open.    

CRS: Did you/your team set any goals for Ride and Ralk for Rainbows 2023 (#R2FR)?

JK: I believe that as a group, we would use our network to solicit more donors. In terms of our team’s goals, we are simply trying to accomplish our initial target. Now, we are smashing our initial target, hence, we plan to double the amount. I would say that we are quite aggressive considering we are all salespeople in a technology industry. From that, we are very passionate about creating a new baseline for the team to achieve.

CRS: What is something you would like to share with everyone who has yet to sign up for R2FR?

JK: From my perspective, it is dependent on the individual’s passion to give back to the community and generally what the whole event is all about. Fundamentally, it's also about creating awareness and in this case, supporting children with lifelong illnesses.

Personally, after completing my medical treatments and gaining my health back last year, it has become my drive to give back to the community. This is because life is always going to be challenging, however, there will always be someone who is in need more than myself, and you. With this, I believe people can still benefit from me - even just a little.
- Jimmy, Cycle Uncles 2.0

CRS: Could you share words of encouragement for our beneficiaries and their families?

JK: Perseverance is very important. I am a firm believer in the mindset that “The cup is always half full” - as opposed to being half empty. From this, we need to look at things differently and always view challenges and life from a positive perspective. There will always be opportunities and potential for us. Believe in hope, and not give up on it.

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You can make a difference
even though you are not a Rider or Ralker.

Support Ride and Ralk for Rainbows and make a difference today

Local Running Community with Big Hearts

Speaking with Mr Pang Wee Khai, Founder of Enjoy Your Run, we learnt why and how Wee Khai (WK) supports Club Rainbow (Singapore) (CRS).  

CRS: How did the group *Enjoy Your Run* come about?

EYR Team at East Coast Park

WK: Enjoy Your Run (EYR) came about during COVID-19 and the relaxation of the control measures. There was also generally more interest in fitness and wellness. A group of friends with some running background came together and decided that it was perhaps more enjoyable to exercise as a group for motivation because running at times requires tremendous discipline to follow through. So that was how we started to gather in small groups in July 2021, on a monthly basis at East Coast Park. It gradually became a weekly gathering for the passionate runners in the group.

Over time, EYR grew organically both in number of active members and the fitness goals achieved. Besides improving general health, several runners smashed their limitations and set new personal records for running - from middle distances to ultra-marathons. What seemed impossible was made a reality due to the strong bonding and teamwork at EYR, both on and off the running course.

CRS: Why have you decided to raise funds for the children of Club Rainbow, and is there any meaning behind the campaign title "Let the children run"?

EYR founder, Pang Wee Khai

WK: I came across Club Rainbow at NUH when my firstborn was born with a genetic condition many years ago. Although we did not engage their services at that time, we came to know about the existence of such charitable organisations, which provide support to families whose children suffer from chronic illnesses. Due to personal experience, it was meaningful to be able to raise funds for an organisation close to our hearts. In fact, there were two online campaigns done previously before the first group effort in 2022 ->

https://www.giving.sg/campaigns/raceto40-marathon-club-rainbow
https://www.giving.sg/campaigns/bryceton-goes-for-10k

Campaign: EYR 2023

http://Give.asia/EYR2023

CRS: Have your group encountered any challenges in your fundraising journey and how did you overcome those challenges?

WK: Generally, friends are supportive of our collective effort. Of course, there are also many other fundraising campaigns out there. It is more about creating awareness and being sincere about what and why we do it.

In terms of challenges, it is inevitable that injuries may happen in the course of getting stronger and fitter. Like all dream journeys, we may face unforeseen circumstances on the road to better health, especially because many teammates are busy working parents. We learn to be patient and share our burdens with each other. In comparison, the children and families of Club Rainbow go through much tougher challenges, which few people can fully comprehend -- we keep this awareness close to our hearts as we fundraise for their cause. 

CRS: How do you shout out for your campaign?

WK: We have been periodically creating awareness on our social media whenever the situation allows. It was also great that we had help with dollar-for-dollar matching by Tote Board, which gives friends more reasons to support our effort.

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Inspired by Wee Khai’s initiative? You can start your fundraising journey with us today!

• For the least effort in managing initiatives and maximum fun
  Fundraise through Ride and Ralk for Rainbows 2023

• Grow the community with maximum flexibility
  Start your own fundraising initiative like Wee Khai, email contact@clubrainbow.org for more details.

Ride for Rainbows 2022 and 30th Anniversary Birthday Bash

Club Rainbow (Singapore)’s biggest event of the year, Ride for Rainbows 2022 and the 30th Anniversary Birthday Bash have successfully concluded on 27 November 2022.

The physical Ride for Rainbows is back after being virtual for 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic!

In conjunction with Club Rainbow (Singapore)’s 30th Anniversary, this year's edition for Ride for Rainbows is met with a hybrid format, giving our riders the flexibility to participate in a physical or virtual ride. We also had a birthday bash carnival with a tons of carnival games and rides at the end of the physical ride to celebrate this very special day and spend a fun filled day with our beneficiaries and their families!

On that day, there were over 600 participants and volunteers who turned up at Marina Barrage. This includes 78 families, close to 200 riders and over 100 staff and volunteers.

With that, we would like to take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to all our supporting parties, including our beneficiaries and their families, sponsors, riders, donors, staff and volunteers! This event would not be possible without everyone’s help and support. 

We hope to see you all again for Ride for Rainbows next year!

Please email rfr@clubrainbow.org to be a part of Ride for Rainbows next year!

Club Rainbow : Excellence and Tertiary Awards 2022

Education is one of the core pillars of support at Club Rainbow (Singapore) and we believe that it is the foundation and stepping stone in developing the potential of our beneficiaries. The Excellence & Tertiary awards are an opportunity to recognize our beneficiaries’ efforts and celebrate their successes. These awards are for those who completed their major national examinations like PSLE or N levels last year and for those in tertiary institutions.

This year, we presented 3 categories of awards - Excellence, Progress and Outstanding Character. 

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Our Excellence Award winners have performed exceptionally in their major national examinations and in their tertiary institutions.

Excellence Awards recipients:

• Aiden Chan Yen Peng

• Ng Gin Hon Royce

• Eswaran S/O Raja 

Our Progress Awards winners have displayed perseverance in their academics and have overcome challenges to make significant improvements.

 Progress Awards recipients:

• Victoria Tan Hui En

• Vasanthii D/O Raja

Our Outstanding Character Awards winners have participated actively in school and the community, displayed exemplary conduct and leadership qualities, and above all, inspired others by being role models.

Outstanding Character Awards recipients:

• Aniq Irfan Bin Norhisham

• Siti Nur Alawiyah Binti Kamsani

Born Differently For A Purpose

Club Rainbow’s 2022 Education Award recipients Sharvani and Raphael were pleasantly surprised and over the moon when they were notified about their academic milestones and achievement. While this academic journey was mentioned to have been stressful, our recipients have pushed themselves to not give up, and instead, strive to excel and be outstanding.

Club Rainbow is pleased that this Education Award serves as a symbol and reminder for Sharvani to fight on and be confident, because as Sharvani mentioned, “everyone is born differently for a purpose”. This grit has been backed up by Sharvani’s caregiver Mdm Mageletchumei, who constantly reminds him that he is not alone, encourages, and supports him in his studies with the necessary facilities, time and even an evening remedy of healing music in order for him to thrive and be comfortable.

Mdm Carol, Raphael’s caregiver also believes that the Education Award gives extra encouragement, recognizing improvements made by children like her son. While Raphael faced some obstacles through his learning journey, it was through Club Rainbow’s play therapy sessions that Mdm Carol was more informed about Raphael’s need for greater structure and discipline, equipping her with the knowledge and wisdom to better guide Raphael. Together with Raphael’s determination, this has pushed him to attain this academic achievement.

Mdm Carol also mentioned her gratefulness for Club Rainbow’s caregiver sessions that were personally beneficial for herself, where she got the opportunity to engage in various new and creative activities such as art therapy, tea sessions and even embroidery. Just like how she has been blessed by Club Rainbow’s services, her hopes and wishes are for Raphael to be a blessing to others and to give back and volunteer with Club Rainbow when he is older.

Club Rainbow recognizes the importance of such caregiver support, and Mdm Mageletchumei has also echoed such sentiments, advising parents to constantly affirm themselves, and to never shortchange their efforts and love poured into their children’s lives.

Mdm Mageletchumei strongly believes that no child’s education should be jeopardized under any circumstances, and advocates for parents to speak up and fight for the rights of their children. This way, children will gain more confidence in themselves. Mdm Carol’s thoughts also resonate with this and advise parents to manage their expectations of children, and most importantly to not be stressed out, as it is ultimately a journey and process at the end of the day.

From Family to Society

Hean Lee is a distributor and wholesaler of handy electronic and electrical household products ranging from power adapters, portable fans, rice cookers, and many more. Its products, marketed under the Soundteoh Electronic brand, can be found on the shelves of major electronic retailers, including Giant Supermarkets, Best Denki, and Courts. The company has a sweeping presence in several Southeast Asian countries.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Hean Lee's Director, Mr. Kelvin Lee, to find out more about the company's perspectives on corporate social responsibility following its first charity collaboration with Club Rainbow in conjunction with SG Cares Giving Week.  

“Everyone to think positively and cherish every day. We should always look forward to tomorrow as miracles could happen.”

— Mr Kelvin Lee, Director of Hean Lee

Founded in 1957 by old Mr. Lee Hian Cheong, Hean Lee is now managed by the third generation of the Lee family. Philanthropy has always been part of the family culture as old Mr Lee donated money to build schools, shelters, and roads in Xiamen, his hometown that he left at a young age to escape from the widespread poverty and famine in China. Mr Kelvin Lee and his brother wanted to continue the family legacy of giving back to society after they started helming Hean Lee. They did so mainly by creating and supplying products that they felt were in line with the latest technology to add convenience to users and by partnering with local businesses and communities to help build brand awareness.

Some of Hean Lee's corporate social responsibility efforts included cross-promotions with local businesses and the sponsorship of home-grown football team Geylang International FC. While Hean Lee used to focus mainly on supporting local brands, they made a slight pivot to focus more on people following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hean Lee donated valuable items such as face shields and portable fans to improve the working conditions of healthcare frontline workers who had to work in sweltering temporary medical setups.

In November 2021, Hean Lee partnered with Club Rainbow on a budding artist program as part of the SG Cares Giving Week. As a result, the artwork of an 11-year-old Club Rainbow beneficiary was chosen as the packaging design of Hean Lee's wireless AC-operated doorbell. Mr. Kelvin Lee found it an intriguing process as a business rarely collaborated with a charitable organisation on its product packaging. With the success of the first collaboration, Hean Lee was considering extending or launching similar partnerships with Club Rainbow in the future.  

Hean Lee sincerely hoped the collaboration could help create more awareness and support for Club Rainbow. Their efforts in corporate social responsibility also led to Soundteoh Electronic being awarded the Singapore Prestige Brand Award 2020/2021 Established Brand Award. When asked for words of encouragement for the young beneficiaries of Club Rainbow, Mr. Kelvin Lee encouraged everyone to think positively and cherish every day. We should always look forward to tomorrow as miracles could happen.

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Should your company or organisation wish to support our children and their families, please email us for a discussion: contact@clubrainbow.org

Celebrating International Nurses Day

By Tang Su Yen, Content Contributor

International Nurses Day is celebrated on 12 May. This is also the birth date of the founder of modern nursing – Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale overcame societal norms to professionalise nursing for women in the Victorian era and spurred the revolution of hospital hygiene practices following her experience caring for soldiers during the Crimean War in 1853. Her practice of making rounds to tend to wounded soldiers with a lamp in hand gave her the moniker ‘The Lady with the Lamp’. By implementing concepts that are still being used by nurses till this day, such as infection control, therapeutic communication, public health advocacy, etc., the death rates at hospitals were greatly reduced due to her efforts.

In modern times, nursing has become a much-respected profession within the healthcare sector. It is defined as the care of individuals, families and communities so they may attain, maintain or recover optimal health and quality of life. In reality though, nurses face many challenges in their work. It is a physically and emotionally demanding job, not to mention the stress of having to be exposed to illnesses and chemicals as part of their work. While they are required to be patient, compassionate, strong and efficient while doing their job, nurses are only human and they deserve our respect and care too.

For International Nurses Day this year, we spoke to several beneficiaries of Club Rainbow to collect some heart-warming stories of their experiences with healthcare professionals and gave them a chance to show some love to the nurses and healthcare professionals who cared for them during their time in hospital.

10-year-old Nur Fitri Soleha and Daddy -

“Soleha was born with Thalassemia Major (Alpha) which causes extreme anemia. She had to go for monthly blood transfusions at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) since she was diagnosed at 3 months old until she turned 7. We are extremely grateful to the medical practitioners and nurses at KKH, including Sister Nurse Chewing, Sister Anh, Sister Wai Wai, Sister Nurse Munirah, to name a few, that have taken care of Soleha throughout her journey. May Allah bless you all and repay your good deeds for caring for my family.”

Lotus Flower by 14-year-old Elijah Sim

14-year-old Elijah Sim and Mummy -

“A special shout-out to Nurse Fang at KKH’s Child Development Unit who has constantly been warm, gentle patient with Elijah during his visits, always going the extra mile to render assistance. We have been touched by her kindness and would like to take this opportunity to thank Nurse Fang for her hard work.”

Message from Mdm Wang, Mother of Elijah Sim
The roots of the lotus are in the dirtiest water however they still managed to produce the most beautiful flowers. The nurse just like the lotus flower with their inner strength and determination are able to come out of any difficulties. Thank you nurses for all the selfless  contribution during this pandemic, keep on frighting. We will stand with you.

Thank You by 7-year-old Chevelle Tan

7-year-old Chevelle Tan and Mummy -

“Thank you to all nurses, especially Chiu Ying and Danlin who took care of Chevelle when she was at KKH Children’s Day Therapy Unit. They were caring and gentle while handling Chevelle’s special needs and behaviour issues during her treatment. Thank you for your professional advice and care especially during instances when Mummy felt lost and panicked. We are also deeply grateful and would like to show our appreciation to the nurses in KKH oncology ward 76 who helped and supported us from March 2018 to December 2019. We really appreciate all that you have done for us”

Note: In this article, we have also featured artwork from Club Rainbow’s beneficiaries in appreciation of the healthcare workers who have taken care of them in commemoration of International Nurses Day.

Choose to be Happy!

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”

Everybody tends to say this to someone having a wrong time, but what does happy mean? Is it that easy to be satisfied?

The word happy is generally defined as a feeling of pleasure or contentment. Such feelings could arise from something as simple as eating something delicious or seeing something beautiful; and can be immediately felt by a child who just got a new toy.

So, what do we do when we are having a bad day and finding it challenging to feel happy? Although we are told that it is fine to embrace our negative feelings, we could always go a step further by embracing those bad feelings and then taking action to exchange them for more positive thoughts. A bad day is no reason to ignore all other good parts of life. Many studies have linked happiness to health as a good mood helps us smile more, sleep better, and feel more energetic. 

One easy way to feel pleasure and contentment is to be thankful. I like to keep a gratitude journal to remind myself of things I am grateful for throughout the day. Small mundane things, like the bus arriving on time or remembering to bring an umbrella on a rainy day. By doing so, you will likely realise that you are luckier than you think. I also know someone who practices ‘gratitude hour’ where he spends an hour every Friday sending emails thanking people who helped him throughout the week.

Most people have also heard of the adage – It’s better to give than to receive. While rewarding ourselves, we must also remember that we are all capable of spreading happiness by building a more compassionate world and not forgetting the needy. You could start by gifting to those who need it or volunteering your time, as experiences provide a higher level of happiness than material items.

If there is one particular day each year where we should put in extra effort to purge all negative emotions from our system, that would be 20 March, also known as the International Day of Happiness. First celebrated on 20 March 2013, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Happiness to make people worldwide realise the importance of happiness in their lives. Building on the idea, the United Nations also launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet to make people’s lives happier. (More information can be found here: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals)

Here at Club Rainbow, we hope that our beneficiaries can live as happily as possible despite the challenges they face in their lives. In conjunction with this year’s International Day of Happiness, we would appreciate your support for our efforts to make this world a better place for children in Singapore living with chronic illnesses. Actions matter, and you can make happiness a choice every day!

Written by: Tang Su Yen
Edited by: Club Rainbow (Singapore)

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We welcome volunteers to support our beneficiaries and passionate individuals who like to kickstart creative fundraising initiatives. Email us at crscpm@clubrainbow.org to start your journey with us today! Other ways you can be part of - https://www.clubrainbow.org/take-action.

Wearing Two Hats with One Heart …

… for the less vulnerable in the community

By Joseph Lee, Content Contributor

It has no doubts that volunteering brings many benefits to people. For instance, it allows people to have a greater sense of fulfilment through the engagement with the community of the beneficiaries. Primarily, the less fortunate can receive help through these activities and a touch of kindness from volunteers. However, it is not always easy for people to embark on a volunteering journey due to their busy schedules and family commitments.

One person came under the spotlight. He is an associate director of a recruitment agency in Singapore. Despite having a hectic schedule, he wears many hats and regularly participates in volunteering activities to help less fortunate people. On top of that, he is also a philanthropist.

Who is he?

He is Kyle, a donor of Club Rainbow who also provides volunteer support to the beneficiaries and their families.

We often hear the saying; a journey starts with a single step. For Kyle, the journey began 20 years ago during a visit to an orphanage. The visit completely changed his life, although it was just a short interaction with the children in the orphanage. It made him realise how fortunate he was to grow up in a loving family and lead a regular life. It completely shifted his perspective and inspired him to support programs that provide social services to less fortunate children. Kyle prefers to provide support through volunteering. For instance, he joined his colleagues in a couple of volunteering activities in the last few years.

However, due to his work commitments, he cannot commit much of his time to it. Despite that, he ensures that he is still able to provide support through philanthropy. Kyle has always felt a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment through these efforts, knowing that his donations have gone to less fortunate children and families.

Being in the volunteering community for an extended period, Kyle has some tips to share with people who are getting started on the journey or juggling commitments. He shared that individuals should take ample time to research the various organisations, ensure that their vision is aligned and that the organisations are regulated. Furthermore, he also suggests that a small effort comes a long way, such as people can better the lives of local communities by patronising local elderly hawkers who are facing difficulties in this pandemic.

Apart from his personal efforts, the company that Kyle is working in, also has a vision to impact at least 500 million lives by the end of 2020. Being a recruitment agency, it not only helps people to seek employment but also work with partners to help low-income entities so that they can enjoy equal access to necessities, education, and employment needs. Before the pandemic, his employer also regularly works with a local charity to aid in the distributing and food preparation. To ensure that the charity can continue to be operational during the pandemic, the company held an in-house auction where more than 100 employees and Kyle himself bid on products and exclusive services donated by employees and other partners. The funds raised from the auction benefitted various charity organisations.

All in all, Kyle wishes to spread the act of volunteerism and philanthropy to everyone and hope that his legacy can be pass down to more people and his children, which in turn puts a smile on more people through these simple efforts.

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Kickstart a giving back journey to the vulnerable little ones in the community!

Your efforts will be doubled as part of the Fortitude Budget, the government is matching donations to charities dollar-for-dollar till 31 March 2022.

To better support NPOs and givers, there will be NO TRANSACTION FEES on Giving.sg till 31 March 2022. Therefore, 100% of your donations will go to Club Rainbow (Singapore).

Do contact us crscpm@clubrainbow.org and we can guide you along to begin your journey with us today.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Generally, CSR is an avenue for companies to contribute back to society by engaging in various aspects – medical, environmental, the marginalized, etc. I wonder if there could be more connection than that…

After much deliberation, my interpretation of CSR has gone in a more digestible way of looking at corporate as a community of like-minded individuals working towards the vision and mission of the company. With this, curiosity led me to thinking:

Community coming together in a Social environment and Relating to their peers who could or know someone who might be facing challenges beyond the norm.

This could be one way of looking at CSR at eye level (employees) apart from a top view (corporate).

What is the difference?

One is a corporate initiative as part of the business directive to inculcate a business and social giving culture, while the other approach is to encourage the employees to take the lead of social giving culture within an organisation, thus, forming an integrated CSR approach making the corporate and employees within into a CSR partnership for the community beyond the company.

Article by
Rachel Valerie Fernandez