Watsons: 175 healthy, happy families

Did you know that the Hong Kongbased A.S. Watson Group began its social responsibility programs in the 1800s, when it provided free medicine to the needy in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong? That Watsons started one of the first medical scholarships in Hong Kong, and that no less than the revered Dr. Sun Yat Sen was one of the scholarship beneficiaries when he came to the Crown Colony to study medicine?

As the A.S. Watson Group celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, it continues its tradition of putting great resources on various CSR programs across three areas of service — health, education, and caring community all over the globe.

One of these is the Project LOL Philanthropy Programme with the mission of spreading “Lots of Love, Lots of Laughs” to the people of Hong Kong. It hopes to share more warmth and laughter by lifting up the lives and spirit of everyone in the community.

In the Philippines, Watsons recently launched its “AnniverSAYA, 175 Healthy, Happy Families” medical mission at SM City Sta. Mesa as part of its participation in the Watsons 175th anniversary worldwide celebration.

During the activity, 175 families were provided with free medical and dental consultations and services. These included tooth extraction, OB consultation, as well as screenings for blood glucose, anemia, UTI, bone, cholesterol and blood pressure check-up.

The A.S. Watson Group (ASW) had its beginnings in 1841 when Hong Kong was just a fishing village. Named after Dr. Alexander Skirving Watson, who joined the company as manager in 1858, the company gained prominence with the Hong Kong Dispensary.

In a span of 175 years, Watsons has grown from a small local dispensary to become the largest international health & beauty retailer in Asia and Europe. It currently operates over 4,000 stores and more than 1,000 pharmacies in 12 Asian and European markets.

“With a history dating back to 1841, the A.S. Watson Group is one of the longest standing and most established companies in Hong Kong,” says the A.S. Watson Group. “We are privileged to be able to witness and grow alongside Hong Kong’s transformation from a fishing village to become a global city and the center of international trade.”

“We are proud to have taken a Hong Kongbased company to a leading position in the world retail landscape,” the management adds. “Looking ahead, we strive to continue our expansion in Hong Kong and overseas, as well as to deliver our promise of providing quality products and shopping experiences to customers.”

Watsons’ Edible Surplus Food Donation Program in PARKnSHOP Hong Kong donated more than 400,000kg of food, allowing the Food Angel to make more than 1,200,000 hot-meal boxes to feed the needy. The food donation program has now expanded to over 120 stores, with donated produce including vegetables, fruits, breads, poultry, meat and packaged foods.

The Watsons Hong Kong Dispensary was founded by Dr. Thomas Boswell Watson in 1841.

A.S. Watson Group has been opening new stores in Asia since 1987. It expanded to Taiwan and Macau, Singapore in 1988, Malaysia in 1994, Thailand in 1996, the Philippines in 2002, and re-opened in China in 1989.

Watsons’ “Elderly Visit 2016” was made possible with the assistance of over 1,300 volunteers from the Group, five business units, and 39 business partners. They visited more than 1,750 singleton elderly in various districts in Hong Kong.

Free medicines were provided for the 175 families at the Watsons AnniverSAYA.

Ms. Soap Bubble, together with Drogas Latvia volunteers, during a CSR activity by Watsons in Latvia