Sport for Healthy Living, Community Bonding and a Force for Good

Speech by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry, at the Great Eastern Women's Run 2023 Launch Event on 24 May 2023

Mr Khor Hock Seng
Group Chief Executive Officer, Great Eastern

Distinguished guests, community partners, 
Daughters Of Tomorrow, 
Singapore Cancer Society,
Supporters, participants and friends of the Great Eastern Women’s Run

A lovely afternoon to all. 

1. I am delighted to be with you today at the launch of the Great Eastern Women’s Run 2023.
   
   

   Sports for healthy living and community bonding

2. Sport is a great way to keep all of us fit and healthy. It also bonds and brings people together.
3. As Asia’s biggest women’s run, this event has become a mainstay in many sporting calendars. I still remember being impressed with all the ladies competing when we held the event in Sports Hub. I want to thank Great Eastern. Because of this run, they have contributed to our national aim of an active and healthy population.
4. This iconic run for women has continued to attract runners from all walks of life – look around you, from avid competitors to fresh enthusiasts, and lovely mother-and-daughter teams. The Run caters to women of different ages and across various fitness levels.
5. This time, the Run has resumed offering the categories it used to have before.
   1. We are happy to look forward to the resumption of the 21.1km open run and for our wonderful girls, the 100m Princess Dash. I think many of the seasoned athletes including our Team Singapore athletes have already started to train hard and can’t wait to make their dash!
   
   

   Sport as a Force for Good 

6. Other than running for physical health, sports can be a powerful force for good and this is why we are congregating here today.
7. Through the years, even with Covid-19 around, this has been a platform to raise funds and rally the partners. Last year, when I was at the Run, we raised a total of $220,000 for two local charities – the Daughters Of Tomorrow and the Singapore Cancer Society.
8. I am so glad that Team continues to prioritise these two beneficiaries and I want to say a big thank you on behalf of the Singapore Government and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. I want to thank Great Eastern because they will donate $1 for every 1km  their employees and their financial representatives run or walk – starting today all the way till 30 Sep 2023.
   1. Now, I am also delighted to hear that in addition to that, the staff and financial representatives of Great Eastern will also lend a hand, like what they did in the past, by raising funds through their unique donation links.
9. All the money raised will go towards a good cause – Daughters Of Tomorrow and Singapore Cancer Society.
   1. For those who are not familiar, Daughters Of Tomorrow helps underprivileged women gain meaningful employment and financial independence, that is very important to our ladies and their family members, especially single mothers. The wonderful people at the Singapore Cancer Society provide needy and timely cancer prevention or treatment to the cancer patients with welfare and rehabilitation support.
10. So once again, I want to say thank you to everyone at Great Eastern for their support to these meaningful causes and for uplifting women in the community together as we keep ourselves fit through this Run.