The following is an excerpt from our press release (for the actual published prints, please refer to the right hand side column):
Port Klang, Selangor
– In the 7th year running, a group of avid Mt. Kinabalu climbers who
aptly call themselves A PIECE OF HOPE (APOH), will yet again scale one of the
highest mountains in South East Asia come July for a charitable and noble purpose.
The APOH climbing group totalling 230 climbers this time is the largest
climbing contingents to climb up Mt. Kinabalu .
Not surprisingly, some of APOH’s hard core group members have climbed up Mt.
Kinabalu more than 13 times consecutively.
For
the past 6 years of climbing Mt. Kinabalu for charity, APOH has helped to raise
more than RM1,000,000 in cash for various children support type NGOs in and
around the Klang Valley. Last year, they managed to raise the largest amount to
date of RM254,000 for Rumah KIDS. There seem to be no stopping them as this
year they are again climbing for charity and this time to benefit an NGO called,
Persatuan Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Klang Selangor (PPKKCKS).
Mr
Ting Ted Sun the fund raising charity event organiser for APOH says, “When we
set the target of RM240,000 for last year’s fund raising effort, we were
actually targeting our RM1,000,000 mark. This mark or amount is the total cash
collected for the past 6 years of our noble effort. We were quite sceptical at
first during the early stages of the donation drive as amount pouring in was
little. We know we had to push our boundaries so that we could achieve that
sort of elusive figure. Thanks to all effort by the APOH committee members, we
not only hit the target but we surpassed it. To date it was by far our most successful
effort in all of the 6 years climbing for charity. APOH is truly touched by the
generosity of those who gave into APOH and Rumah KIDS. This year as we embark
again on raising funds and since reaching the RM1,000,000 mark, we would still
set a target but it would be a sure reachable figure of RM200,000.”
Lead
climber, Mr Jimmy Lim, indicated that they have 200 climbers this year plus 30
non-climbers and will be making the climb from 27 to 31 July 2013. Climbers
will be flying into Kota Kinabalu from all over the country on the 27 July. Mr.
Jimmy Lim whom has climbed Mt. Kinabalu for 12 times, said that the climb will
be in two stages again like last year, each stage will have 100 climbers. He
further adds that the jigsaw puzzle pieces will not be assembled at the summit
due to the two stages climb arrangement but will be assembled at Laban Rata.
Assembling it at Laban Rata will also be easier as the weather condition at the
peak is quite unpredictable.
Mr.
Jimmy highlighted that all climbers bear their own expenses and there is no
cost incurred in organising this event. APOH committee members also pay the
same price. This year the cost had gone up by RM100 but enthusiasm to join us
has not died down due to this increase. Not a single cent will be taken out
from the donation funds collected. Street donation solicitation, Jimmy
stressed, is strictly prohibited. He mentioned that the general public can view
their on-going and past efforts from the website www.apieceofhope.blogspot.com.
He jovially said that all these effort are done for the sake of charity, along
the way they have loads of fun and make many new friends.
