BREAKFAST DAY:
Families creating large bubbles during the 2017 Milo Malaysia Breakfast Day which returned to the Land Below the Wind for the second year, this time bringing with it its popular breakfast run. Over 4,000 people took part in the event at the rugby field in Tanjung Aru yesterday.-
KOTA KINABALLU: Milo Malaysia Breakfast Day returned to the Land Below the Wind for the second year, this time bringing with it its popular breakfast run.
Held at the rugby field in Tanjung Aru yesterday, the event welcomed over 4,200 participants to partake in a wholesome breakfast, complemented with exciting activities aimed at educating parents about the importance of breakfast, and the role it plays in fulfilling children’s daily energy needs.
The morning kicked off with a drum percussion performance ushering the runners to the 3km starting point where Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, Nestle Malaysia’s Milo business unit consumer marketing manager April Wong and Nestle Malaysia Sabah and Brunei branch manager Quek Teng Hiong flagged them off.
Families also got to try their hand at creative breakfast preparation classes, Zumba dancing, treasure hunts, and other exciting activities.
“We are pleased that even after four years, Milo Malaysia Breakfast Day is still one of the nation’s most celebrated breakfast events. It is great to be back in Kota Kinabalu for the second year to advocate the importance of breakfast to families, and how Milo can help to provide children with the energy to start their day right,” Wong said.
She said the event included activities to educate the public on breakfast calories, nutrition needs and the importance of having a balanced breakfast and diet.
“At least one in four kids in Malaysia still skip breakfast. An internal review shows that a child expends up to 1,500 kcal on an average school day, which is as much energy needed to climb a mountain, swim 50 laps in a pool or even run a half marathon. Parents are not aware of the huge amount of energy their children use up on a school day,” Wong said.
As such, Wong said there was an opportunity for Milo to educate parents to adopt the healthy habit of feeding breakfast to their kids to ensure they have the right nutrition to start their day right.
She said Milo came up with new innovative ways to educate the public on the importance of breakfast every year.
“One of our initiatives this year is to address the lack of understanding about the energy needs of children,” she said.
On the event, Wong said the Milo Malaysia Breakfast Day had attracted a strong following as the movement entered its fifth year.
“Every year people will visit our Facebook page and ask us when the next Breakfast Day event will be. That is why we are back in KK for the second time. Judging from the success we had last year, we felt obliged to bring more events and activities to Sabahans this year as well,” she said.
Wong said the number of participants in Kota Kinabalu had also increased from 3,500 last year to 4,200 this year, comprising 1,700 runners and 2,500 non-runners.
Meanwhile, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad corporate wellness manager Cher Siew Wei said Milo contained calcium, Activ-Go, a unique combination of Protomalt and essential micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – which allowed kids to get the most out of their breakfast and helping them to perform at their best, mentally and physically.
“We encourage the public to at least grab a cup of Milo or make a simple sandwich if they really do not have the time. Parents themselves should also eat breakfast to set a good example or habit in the family,” she said.
The Milo Malaysia Breakfast Day was previously held in Penang where it drew a 7,000strong crowd. In the coming weeks, the event will be held in Kuching, Johor, Kuantan, Kota Bahru and Putrajaya.
Milo is targeting 55,000 participants for all the seven locations, including up to 23,000 participants in Putrajaya alone.
Also present at the event was Nestlé Malaysia group shopper and consumer engagement head Lester Kahn.