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Hitachi Spreads Christmas Cheer To The Less Fortunate (PDF Type, 113 kByte)

November 17, 2007

Hitachi Spreads Christmas Cheer To The Less Fortunate

Hitachi spreads Christmas cheer

Mdm Aw Mui Chan, 70, has always wanted to participate in the Christmas festivities here but had no opportunity to do so. On Saturday, 17 November 2007, Mdm Aw got her wish fulfilled. Thanks to The Hitachi Group of Companies, Mdm Aw and her friends from Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) Community Home for Senior Citizens got to enjoy the dazzling display of Christmas lights, onboard the HiPPO bus, along Orchard Road. AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens is an adopted charity of the Hitachi group.

The Hitachi Group of Companies, the main sponsor of the annual Christmas Light-up, never fails to make it a point during Christmas to give to the less fortunate. For the past 17 years, they have donated more than $2.6 million to Community Chest to help the needy in Singapore. This year, besides its traditional $150,000 contribution to Community Chest, the HiPPO bus tour is an extended gesture from the company for the elderly from AWWA Community Home to enjoy a special Christmas. Guests at the evening’s switch-on ceremony of the Christmas Light-up got a rare treat when Mr Shunsuke Ohtsu, Chief Executive for Asia, Hitachi, Ltd took to the stage to perform alongside children from the Singapore School for the Visually Handicapped.

Mr Ohtsu said, “The Hitachi Group is delighted to support the Christmas Light-up for the 17th year, raising funds for those in need of help with the hope of lighting up their lives as well. Our commitment to the community demonstrates our corporate philosophy to contribute to society through technology wherever Hitachi is located.”

Christmas Light-up features fairytale romance

President S R Nathan opened the island’s festive celebrations with the signature ‘Christmas in the Tropics Light-up’ in the prime shopping districts of Orchard Road and Marina Bay. The celebratory arches, fantasy-inspired sets and glittering décor told of the fairytale romance between Prince Noel the Toy Soldier and the beautiful Princess Ballerina. Groups like the Singapore Ladies’ Choir from The Japanese Association and the Grace Orchard School brought an early Christmas cheer to guests and passers-by.

More Christmas cheer from other corporates

Corporate organisations made it a point to also spread cheer and love to the less fortunate amidst the gaiety of the season. Other than Hitachi, two other companies have joined hands with Community Chest in a special community Christmas Giving celebration.

Celebrating Braun Büffel’s 120th anniversary, Lianbee-Jeco Pte Ltd, which manages and represents the brand here in Singapore, has erected a special Braun Büffel Christmas tree at the heart of the Orchard walkway. It also made a generous donation of $60,000 in aid of Community Chest.

The CapitaLand Retail Limited and CapitaLand Hope Foundation are also celebrating the season with Christmas trees. And they are inviting the public to help them decorate it. President Nathan launched the company’s inaugural initiative – “Building for Our Future” – at the function. For every $50 purchase made at their participating malls, shoppers will get to build and hang a Christmas ornament, sponsored by LEGO, onto Christmas trees found at the Plaza Singapura, Tampines Mall and IMM. The CapitaLand Hope Foundation has pledged a $5 donation for each ornament built, which will benefit three selected children charities supported by Community Chest.

Mr Liew Mun Leong, President and CEO of CapitaLand Group, said, “In line with CapitaLand’s credo “Building People”, the inaugural “Building for Our Future” charity programme championed by CapitaLand Hope Foundation and CapitaLand Retail Limited is indeed a major milestone in our pursuit to further our corporate social responsibility goals. The partnership with Community Chest through this charity drive is expected to benefit underprivileged children in Singapore, where we have a leadership position in the retail real estate business. It is also in countries where we operate that we want to do our part to build a better future for underprivileged children, who are our hope for the future. CapitaLand Hope Foundation is pledging a total sum of S$500,000, of which S$250,000 will benefit selected children charities in Singapore. We encourage all shoppers to actively participate in the programme at our malls so as to make this Christmas extra special for the children supported by Community Chest.”

Mr Sandy Liao, Managing Director of Lianbee-Jeco Pte Ltd, said, “It is Lianbee-Jeco Pte Ltd’s deep honour to once again be part of Comchest’s Christmas Charity Light-up and we are delighted to be celebrating Braun Büffel’s 120th Anniversary in the same year. To commemorate both these milestone events, it is with mounting excitement that, for the first time, we have constructed a Braun Büffel Charity Christmas Tree in the heart of Orchard Road. We hope this Christmas Tree will help draw attention to the spirit of giving and remind everyone that there is a message of charity beyond all the glitter and shine.”

Community Chest appreciates corporate donors’ support and welcomes more

“The people that Community Chest support, rely on the help of corporate partners like The Hitachi Group of Companies, Lianbee-Jeco Pte Ltd, Capital Retail Limited and CapitaLand Hope Foundation. For this, we thank them for their generosity towards the less fortunate in our society. At the same time, Community Chest also welcome other corporates that wish to do something special for the less fortunate this Christmas to collaborate with us. And not just the corporates, it will also be wonderful if members of the public can do your part to make this Christmas a special moment for those who are less fortunate among us,” said Mr P Y Hwang, Vice-Chairman for Community Chest.

Why not do a little charity this Christmas and help brighten the lives of the less fortunate? You may make your donations to charities supported by Community Chest through the Donation Portal at www.donation.org.sg or by writing a cheque made payable to ‘Community Chest’ and address it to The National Council of Social Service, 170 Ghim Moh Road, #01-02, Singapore 279621.

Issued by:
Corporate Communications Division
National Council of Social Service
Saturday, 17 November 2007

About the Community Chest

About the Community Chest Community Chest raises funds on a yearly basis to meet the needs of the social service programmes we help support. Community Chest ensures that fund-raising costs are kept to a minimum. As these costs have been sponsored by Singapore Totalisator Board and Singapore Pools (Private) Limited, every dollar raised by Community Chest will be made available to social service programmes under its care.