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UOB raises S$3.1m for 25 charities at its annual Heartbeat Run event

PHOTO: UOB

SINGAPORE – On Saturday (Oct 11), about 24,000 people took part in UOB’s annual Heartbeat Run.

It was held not only in Singapore, but also in the bank’s other key regional markets, including mainland China, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The event, which included UOB staff and beneficiaries, raised a total of S$3.1 million. The amount will go to 25 charities the bank supports globally.

The UOB Heartbeat Run is the lender’s annual flagship volunteering and fundraising programme, which has raised more than S$23 million since its inception in 2007.

The programme supports causes that are aligned with the bank’s corporate social responsibility focus areas of art, children and education. UOB’s chief executive officer Wee Ee Cheong said that this is how the bank creates “meaningful impact”.

This year’s UOB Heartbeat Run marks its 19th iteration, coinciding with the lender’s 90th anniversary.

The S$2 million raised in the city-state will be channelled through Community Chest to support two local beneficiaries: Shine Children and Youth Services and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

This will help support initiatives spanning areas such as education, mentoring, and social and healthcare services.

Chew Sutat, chairman of Community Chest, said that these efforts “can provide quality education for children in need”.

The Business Times © SPH Media. Reproduced with permission.