[Featured Photo: (R-L) Lim Sheau Huei, GM of Central Singapore CDC, Rosa Dwisanty from Creative Experience and Partnerships Team, Office of Dean of Students, Ernest Toh, Principal/Administrator of Mountbatten Vocational School, Charles Ang from Office of Student Life and SMU Chairman posing for a group photo with Sport-A-Cause beneficiaries from the Mountbatten Vocational School.]

750 students, alumni and staff of the Singapore Management University (SMU) and members of the public gathered on Saturday, 9 September 2017 for the SMU Challenge 2017 finale – Sport-A-Cause at SMU’s Campus Green.

For as little as $15, participants walked, jogged, ran and biked for 15 minutes (or more) to raise funds for selected beneficiary - Mountbatten Vocational School (MVS). We are proud to announce that we have hit the target of $15,000 and are still awaiting updates from the F&B proceeds from the partnerships with B3 and 1925 Brewery.

First conceived in 2008, SMU Challenge is an annual community service initiative that brings the SMU community together to give back to our local community. Into its 10^th year, SMU Challenge highlights the special needs community in partnership with the Central Singapore Community Development Council.

After nine months of outreach where 90 students from SMU Challenge went on several Purple Outings involving the intellectually disabled, blind and deaf beneficiaries from three organisations, the Singapore Association for the Deaf, Mountbatten Vocational School, and Lighthouse School, Sport-A-Cause is the culmination of all their efforts.

Unlike previous years, this year’s finale took the form of a charity sports event, where the SMU community and members of the public came together to support a worthy cause and at the same time raise aware ness for the special needs community in Singapore either through running laps or cycling. Proceeds from the event will be used for the upgrading of facilities and programmes for students at MVS.

In addition to running or cycling, participants were also treated to a tantalising selection of food and drinks, browse through a makers’ market, as well as entertaining performances courtesy of the SMU Arts Festival.

Said Ellysya Lee Wei Zhen, President of SMU Challenge 2017, "Being part of such a big team was certainly no easy feat. I've learnt how to strike a balance between safeguarding the interest of my team and the dignity of the event as well as our partner beneficiary MVS. Sport-A-Cause was not only a culmination of nine months of hard work, it represents our hopes and dreams for the students of MVS. The memory of watching the MVS students run during the event with so much energy will, for a very long time, be a reminder that we too need to be full of life to serve those around us."

Tan Kun Sheng, SMU Challenge 2017 Volunteer also added, “Through the Purple Outings, I got to learn more about the difficulties our beneficiaries face and how we can better interact and contribute to them in the future. These outings really helped to raise awareness and gave us the chance to interact with them personally."

To date, SMU Challenge has raised over $280,000 for various beneficiaries.

More photos of the SMU Challenge 2017 can be found at:

·         https://www.facebook.com/pg/sgsmu/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1869273583099162

·         https://www.facebook.com/thesmuchallenge/

Photo credits: Fiona Wong and Corinne Kang