In November 2019, nurses from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) raised over $100,000 for the SGH Needy Patients Fund and in doing so, set two new records for the Singapore Book of Records!
The Run & Jump for Hope 2019, organised by the SGH Nursing Division as part of SGH Nurses’ Health Improvement Programme, rose to the challenge and set the national record for the most number of star jumps performed by a group and the most number of laps in an 800m relay run. In total, they achieved 24,248 star jumps and 300 laps in 24 hours!
Behind this fundraising initiative to care for needy patients in a different and creative way were four nurses from SGH - Angelina Foo, Assistant Nurse Clinician, Ward 66, Muhammad Nadzlan bin Rosli, Nurse Clinician, Ward 42, Tunggal Jagat bin Khairul, Nurse Clinician, Ward 68, and Tan Meng Kwan, Nurse Clinician, Hyperbaric & Diving Medicine Centre.
“After organising a successful event in 2018, a few of us decided to do something bigger to commemorate the 200th anniversary of SGH. We thought this could also be an excellent opportunity to raise funds for the SGH Needy Patients Fund,” shared Nadzlan.
Tunggal added, “Because this was also part of the SGH Nurses’ Health Improvement Programme, we brainstormed for ideas that could both help raise money as well as have a fitness element to it. We agreed that we should try and achieve something never done before in Singapore, and came up with Run & Jump for Hope 2019.”
Even though the four nurses had experience in organising events, this was the first time they were planning a fundraising one. “In order to incorporate the fundraising element, we had to find ways to not only get people to participate, but to also encourage them to give to the fund,” explained Angelina. “With the help of our Development Office colleagues and the committee members, we were able to create a buzz among our colleagues, and share with them the intent behind this event.”
On the event day, the nurses could see their hard work come to fruition. “The moment the first runner was flagged off, I realised that our months of discussion, planning and hard work had finally paid off,” remembers Nadzlan.
Tunggal shared, “To see everyone on that day putting in their best effort, all in the name of charity, it really warmed my heart.”
With Run & Jump for Hope 2019 a success, Nadzlan said that he would consider planning another fundraising event in the future. “We are able to collaborate with colleagues from other departments and learn new things. Organising an event can be long and tiring, but we reap the fruits that we sow when we see many happy faces, and are able to give back and help our patients in need.”
