Gen-Y Upko Penampang Wheelchair Charity Run May 1

PENAMPANG: The second Wheelchair Charity Run 2018, jointly organized by Gen-Y Upko Penampang and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Penampang, will be held on May 1 this year.

Organizing chairman Beecher Mc Alister said the event aimed to educate and create awareness on people with special needs (OKU), especially those on wheelchairs.

“The profit gained from the event will go to JCI Penampang’s special needs programme where we identify people with walking disabilities and provide them with wheelchairs.”

Last year, he said 567 participants took part in the run and the proceeds had been used to acquire five wheelchairs, two strollers, as well as to fit Valentino George, 15, with a prosthetic leg. Part of the funds was also utilized to assist flood victims.

“This year, we expect some 2,500 participants, including 500 people with special needs, to take part in the event,” he said in a press conference here yesterday.

The run will start at Riverson Walk, Kota Kinabalu with the flag-off by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation cum Upko acting president Datuk Seri Panglima Wiilfred Madius Tangau at 6am. There will be various forms of warm-up before the race, including Zumba. Beecher said the whole programme was expected to be over at 5pm as there would be various OKU-friendly activities at the event.

Registration for the run is now open till April 1.

Early birds who register before March 1 will enjoy a discounted fee of RM65 while participants who sign up after the date will have to pay RM80.

On the other hand, Beecher said the Wheelchair Charity Run anniversary dinner would be held on February 3 at Putera Ballroom in Bukit Padang starting from 6pm.

The purpose of the dinner is to thank the run’s previous and current sponsors and partners. Wilfred is expected to grace the dinner as the guest of honour as well.

All guests of the dinner will automatically be a Wheelchair Charity Run participant as race packs are included in the dinner package.

For any enquiries on tickets and sales, call Madam Eva at 0128899106 or Ms Ally at 011-55495748. More information can be found on wheelchaircharityrun on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Upko secretary general Datuk Donald Mojuntin said the event was important to remind people, especially the younger generation about personal interaction and empathy, especially in the fourth Industrial Revolution era where people were spending a lot of time on phones, laptops and other electronic devices.

He was pleased to see the involvement of the younger generation in this worthwhile cause and hoped that it would encourage other people to do the same.

“In Penampang, we try to encourage young people to become leaders in various fields, including business, social work and politics.

“That is why a lot of activities are organized by the younger generation in Penampang.”

Meanwhile, Valentino, a student at SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, was happy to be fitted with a prosthetic leg from the proceeds obtained from the Wheelchair Charity Run.

Valentino said his mother suffered a fall during pregnancy and he was born this way.

“My twin sister was born normal. Only I was born this way.”

Valentino is the seventh child out of 10 siblings. Both his parents are farmers and the family lives at Kampung Gunsing here.