READY, GET SET GO!
IREKA CARES Enters Fifth Year With Sports For All
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 October 2014: Twenty seven enthusiastic children from three children’s homes arrived promptly at Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Sports Club, Bukit Kiara) in anticipation of having fun playing badminton, bowling and swimming.
Rumah Kanak Kanak Angels, Rumah Hope and Lighthouse are all children’s homes IREKA CARES has adopted and worked with as part of their CSR programme, and children from all three homes are invited to be part of the programme for this year.
IREKA CARES was initiated in 2010 as Ireka Corporation Berhad’s flagship community engagement programme focusing on children. The initiative allows the Group to engage the communities in a focused manner and encourages all Ireka employees to participate and directly contribute to society. IREKA CARES works to a yearly theme in accordance with the C.A.R.E.S. acronym which means that since 2010, the programme has focused on themes around the Community, Arts, Recreation, Environment and in 2014/15, the spotlight is on Sports.
This is a particularly special year because it is IREKA CARES’ fifth and final year so it intends to sign off with a bang! The programme works jointly with the Company’s sports club, Ireka Sports & Recreation Club and the Bukit Kiara Club to provide the children from these 3 homes the opportunity to bowl, play badminton and swim once a month until September 2015 when the programme ends.
The programme will both train the children who have no experience in these sports and enhance their skills. Either way, it is an excellent opportunity for the children to get healthy, stay healthy and just have fun doing so. It is also an opportunity to make new friends and to learn from each other.
There will be a league table so that the children can measure their progress against each other and set themselves goals to attain. All this will culminate towards a mini-Olympic event in September 2015 where all the children get to compete against each other in these activities.
Grinning from ear to ear, the children enjoyed themselves very much on Saturday, participating in the three sports and they enthusiastically agreed to come back for more in a month’s time. More exciting was seeing the IREKA CARES volunteers in action, some of whom were coaching the children in the three sports. Their talents shone through and seeing them share it with the children was an inspiration.
Summing up, Datuk F.K. Lai, Ireka’s Deputy Managing Director and Chairman of the organisation’s CSR Steering Committee stated, “IREKA CARES plays a broader role in the community, beyond what we deliver through our core business activities. We adopt a select number of children’s homes and through the direct efforts of our employees we work hard to make a difference. I am very proud of all our IREKA CARES volunteers. I am particularly excited about this final year of IREKA CARES because we have a great sports programme ahead which will equally be fun for both the children and volunteers.”
IREKA CARES Action Committee Vice President, Irene Sim (third from right) having a fun time with her lil’ brothers and sisters from the children’s home.
Ela Yiek, IREKA CARES volunteer, lends a helping to the children who are eager to perfect their swimming skills.
Ireka’s Group Deputy Managing Director and IREKA CARES Chairman, Datuk F.K. Lai (in red and black tee) welcoming the children from Rumah Hope, Lighthouse Children’s Welfare Home and Rumah Kanak-Kanak Angels at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Sports Club.
Alex Koh (in white tee) sharing a few tips and tricks with a resident of the Rumah Kanak-Kanak Angels.
Chong Kam Wah (in black tee) briefing children on the badminton techniques from the various children’s homes IREKA CARES adopted for this term.
Group photo with all the IREKA CARES volunteers and children before calling it a day