中文版

HSL Joins Kuching Run For Autism 2019

Published date: 3rd May 2019

Hock Seng Lee (HSL) continues to strive to enrich the lives of community members through various altruistic initiatives by participating in the ‘Kuching Run For Autism’ last weekend.

Organised by the Kuching Autistic Association (KAA), the annual event saw about 30 staff from the Sarawak based construction specialist joining over 3000 joggers, raising more than RM100,000 for the non-profit organisation.

“HSL has participated in the run last year and the event had successfully raised some RM160,000 for KAA centre’s education programme, vocational and living skills training needs. This year, more of us have decided to participate to help bring greater awareness to the public so that children and young adults with autism could get the support and skill sets they need in order to become functioning members of the society. Our staff strongly believed in KAA’s cause and they were still in high spirits and determined to complete the run despite the rain,” said Cheryl Cheah, HSL’s manager of corporate communications.

Cheah believes that the autism awareness highlighted through the running event over the past four years is gaining momentum and evolving.

“More people are becoming aware of autism and receptive toward people with this condition. But we now also realise that just by accepting them as unique individuals is not good enough. We need to do more. We need to start seeing their ability and potential in becoming functional members of society and be there to provide that support for them to achieve that. This also explains why HSL is so supportive of KAA centre’s work where it helps its vocational students learn and produce artwork, conference tag lanyards and necklaces and part time employment placements as part of its 2019 tagline, ‘See The Ability’,” she said.

The runners were flagged off at 6.30am by the president of Kuching Autistic Association, Dato Dr Yao Sik Chi. The non-competitive friendly run had two categories – 3km and 7km, which kicked off and ended at the Kuching City South Council (MBKS) building compound.

According to Cheah, this run is HSL’s 5th CSR event this year. The company started a monthly outreach programme called “Healthy Bodies, Happy Minds” earlier this year by sponsoring staff outreach efforts every fourth Saturday of the month. Staff, who have been divided into monthly groups with team ambassadors, will be given a free day-off and also sponsorship to organise CSR events.

“Each team is free to plan and select charitable bodies to tied up with but as a general rule, the management has outlined that these events should be towards a ‘caring society and greener environment’,” Cheah explained.

Cheah added that members of the public can visit HSL’s website https://www.hsl.com.my to suggest activities and events under the CSR section.

For more information, visit hsl.com.my, facebook.com/hslcn or instagram.com/hslcn.