In a bid to help raise funds for underprivileged children,Maybank Foundation recently joined hands with other corporate organisations to support the XtraMile Run 2013.
The 100 km run which took place across Klang Valley led by three ultra-marathoners; Alex Au-Yong, Kyle Tan and Daniel Lee, took 17 hours to complete and raised over RM120,000. The objective of the XtraMile run was to raise awareness and interest amongst Malaysians to support the education initiatives of Dignity for Children Foundation.
The runners were flagged off on 24 August 2013 at Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside and made their way through pit stops at Shaftsbury Cyberjaya, Sunway Pyramid, Dignity for Children Foundation learning center in Sentul, Menara Maybank on Jalan Tun Perak, Lake Gardens and ended at Athlete's Circle, Jaya One.
Dignity for Children is one of Maybank Foundation’s beneficiaries.
The Head of Maybank Group Human Capital, Nora Manaf explained in her speech at the event, “It was a matter of coincidence that we found ourselves sharing a common cause with these XtraMilers. Our own relationship with the Dignity for Children Foundation started last year when our Group Human Capital staff engaged with the children from Harvest Centre as part of our employee volunteerism initiatives to undertake sustainable programmes that bring about a meaningful difference to the lives of the community.”
Added Nora, “Today the goal goes beyond completing the course to a higher one, which is to give a child hope for a better future by sponsoring his/her education.”
“We at Maybank similarly share a goal, our 2015 Vision to be a regional financial services leader. To achieve our vision, our people are expected to push themselves further than what is expected. It doesn’t matter if it is in terms of how we serve our customers, the way we treat our fellow colleagues or how we deal with a challenging situation, we always ensure our dealing are fair and humane. Our actions resonate with our mission of “humanising financial services”, to serve from the heart.”
Funds raised will benefit approximately 600 urban poor kindergarten and secondary schoolchildren, including children from deprived refugee families.
At the Xtramile Run, members of the public came to show their support and cheered the runners on. Pit stop activities featured symbolic acts such as “Light their Way” where candles were lit along the way of the runners and children. Runners and supporters also stomped on a banner printed “POVERTY” to signify them stomping poverty out of the lives of these children.