Sands Cares Ambassadors Celebrate Venetian's 15th Anniversary with Macau Special Olympics
Four local NGOs join fun parent-child activities
(Macao,
Aug. 28, 2022) – Members of four NGOs –
including Macau Special Olympics (MSO) – and their
families rode in gondolas, played games and enjoyed
other activities Sunday with Sands Cares Ambassadors in
celebration of The Venetian® Macao's 15th
anniversary. Participants also received health checks as
part of the MSO Healthy Athletes programme, with Sands
Cares Ambassadors lending a helping
hand.
The fun
parent-child event, The Venetian Macao 15th
Anniversary Presents: Sands Cares Healthcare
Day, was organised by Sands China and MSO,
and co-organised by Macau Medical and Health Federation,
in promotion of the health of people with intellectual
disabilities.
"Sands China
is very pleased to share the joy of The Venetian's 15th
anniversary with Macau Special Olympics, with whom we
have a long and successful history of working together,"
said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.
"Our thanks go to our Sands Cares Ambassadors for always
sharing the company's goodwill with our community
partners, and to Macau Special Olympics for their
collaboration and for the invaluable services they
provide to people with disabilities and their
families."
On the same
day, Sands China Ltd. made a MOP 248,000 donation to MSO
in support of its Healthy Athletes programme.
Co-organised by Sands China and MSO, this free programme
aims to improve the health of people with intellectual
disabilities and to reduce relevant parenting stress.
Having helped identify health issues for 5,500 people
with intellectual disabilities, with 600 children and
young adults with intellectual disabilities having
enjoyed follow-up treatments fully funded by the
programme to date, the Healthy Athletes programme also
offers useful advice for caregivers of its participants.
Hetzer Siu,
national director of Macau Special Olympics, said: "It
is a pleasure to be invited to this valuable event to
celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Venetian Macao.
MSO and Sands China have collaborated for over 15 years,
and it is now the 9th year since the launch of our
Healthy Athletes Programme. Through this programme,
Sands Cares Ambassadors and our members have developed a
great bond, which gives the local community a better
understanding of the challenges faced by families with
intellectual disabilities individuals. We are looking
forward to continuing to work with Sands China to
benefit even more people in
need."
A total of 300
people participated in Sands Cares Healthcare Day for
some fun activities, where 100 Sands Cares Ambassadors
accompanied 150 children with disabilities and their
family members from four local NGOs: Macau Special
Olympics, the Association of Parents of the People with
Intellectual Disabilities of Macau, the Macau
Association for Intellectual Development Services, and
the Macau Down Syndrome
Association.
In addition to
enjoying indoor gondola rides and playing at game
booths, the special guests visited the V15 time tunnel,
joined a parent-child handicraft workshop, and received
a gift pack featuring a Venetian signature
doll.
Guests of
honour were Prof. Sze Tat Ming, chairman of Macau
Special Olympics; Leong Sun Iok and Ngan Iek Hang,
members of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR;
Chen Jian, deputy director of the social work department
of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government
in the Macao SAR; Chow Pui Leng, director of the Centre
of Psycho-pedagogical Support and Special Education of
the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao
SAR; Lao Kit Man, representative of the Social Welfare
Bureau of the Macao SAR; Dr. Jerry Wong, vice president
of the Macau Medical and Health Federation; Dr. Wilfred
Wong; Grant Chum, chief operating officer of Sands China
Ltd.; and other members of the Sands China's executive
leadership
team.
Sands China's
community initiatives and the company's Sands Cares
Ambassador programme are part of Sands Cares, the global
corporate citizenship programme of parent company Las
Vegas Sands
Corp.
The Sands
Cares Ambassador programme was established in August
2009 to give Sands China team members an outlet for
serving the local community by organising community
activities and initiatives that work toward creating a
better Macao. With membership of more than 3,300
volunteers from across all Sands China properties –
Sands® Macao, The Venetian Macao, The
Plaza® Macao, The Parisian Macao and The
Londoner® Macao – the Sands Cares Ambassadors
have contributed more than 175,000 hours of voluntary
community service since the programme's founding.
Photo caption: Guests of honour officiate the opening
ceremony of The Venetian Macao 15th Anniversary Presents:
Sands Cares Healthcare Day on
Sunday.
Photo caption: Dr. Wilfred Wong (right), president of
Sands China Ltd., presents a ceremonial cheque for MOP
248,000 to Prof. Sze Tat Ming (left), chairman of Macau
Special Olympics, in support of MSO's Healthy Athletes
programme Sunday at The Venetian
Macao.
Photo caption: Participants of Sands Cares Healthcare
Day play games and enjoy other activities at The Venetian
Macao Sunday.
