Their swim, biking and run net $225,000 for MWS
THREE pastors, the Rev Dr Norman Wong, the Rev Alvin Chan and the Rev Lim Jen Huat, exchanged their clerical collars for sports gear on July 29, 2007 to swim, cycle and run in the Osim Singapore International Triathlon to raise funds for the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS). Staff and members of the MWS Management Committee gathered to pray with the three pastors before they started out on their relay event at the East Coast Park. Owing to the heavy rainfall, the flag-off was delayed for almost two hours and the race distances modified.
The swim leg of the event was cancelled. The swimmers were only required to run the 400 metres to the transition area, and both the distances for the bike and run legs were halved to 20 km and 5 km respectively.
Still, the Rev Dr Wong decided to swim one lap (750 metres) even though it was not required. He later raced with the other swimmers from the beach to the transition area where he handed over the ChampionChip to the Rev Chan for the bike leg. The ChampionChip is a plastic disc that participants wear on an ankle strap and is used for computerised timing purposes.
Typical of racing bicycles, the Rev Chan’s bicycle tyres had no tread, and he risked skidding on the wet ground as he peddled to complete his 20-km bike route in the fastest possible time. The Rev Lim then took over the ChampionChip and completed the 5-km run in a light drizzle.
As at the end of August 2007, members of the various Methodist churches had donated almost $225,000 to support the pastors’ efforts – and the mailers are still coming in.
Mylene Koh is the Manager, Communications and Fund-raising, at the Methodist Welfare Services, and Debby Chua is a member of Wesley Methodist Church.