Sands China celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Sands Cares Ambassador Programme at The Londoner Macao on Tuesday. The event was attended by around 200 guests, including government officials, company executives, representatives from Macao NGOs, and Sands Cares Ambassadors.
The anniversary event extended the company’s appreciation to long-time local NGO collaborators and the Sands Cares Ambassadors for their outstanding volunteer work in “walking together” with Macao, while also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland.
Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd., said: “Sands China established the Sands Cares Ambassador Programme in 2009 and became the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise in Macao to establish a volunteer team. There were only 200 members in the early days of the programme, but we now have more than 3,600 team members who have become Sands Cares Ambassadors, cumulatively contributing over 310,000 hours of volunteer service.”
“The positive contributions of the Ambassadors to community development have been widely recognised by all walks of life, for which we are very proud. Yet, we know that many groups and families in society still need help, so we encourage more team members to join forces in community volunteerism, deliver the spirit of care together, and continue to help build a harmonious and inclusive community.”
For 15 years, the Sands Cares Ambassador Programme has brought together team members of different ages and from different departments to serve the community. At the celebration, Sands China executives honored 25 Sands Cares Ambassadors on stage with awards that recognized them for their various contributions, including long years of service, number of volunteer hours, and other noteworthy accolades. Attendees enjoyed taking snapshots at photo booths and an exhibition installation showcased a recap of the programme’s key achievements and moments over the last 15 years.
Guests received a commemorative gift pack, as a token of appreciation to the Sands Cares Ambassador programme’s supporting entities and volunteers. In order to share warmth and care with disadvantaged groups, Sands China had invited an artist with disabilities from Fuhong Society of Macau to design and produce the gift, thereby letting more people appreciate the artistic talents of people with special needs in the spirit of inclusiveness and art without boundaries.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “The Sands Cares Ambassador Programme is an important platform for the company to organize volunteer activities, and has been demonstrating Sands China’s dedication to corporate social responsibility. Our Ambassadors help the disadvantaged from the bottom of their hearts and actively use their spare time to support various community volunteer services, and they are deservedly widely recognized by all walks of life.”
“The continuous growth of the programme is inseparable from our precious community partners who have been working with us to add warmth to our cherished home. We would like to sincerely thank the Macao SAR government and all our long-term partners for their strong support and for providing professional guidance and advice to us. We hope to continue to strengthen cooperation with all sectors of society and provide more comprehensive and beneficial services to the public, working together for a better community.”
As part of Sands Cares, the Sands Cares Ambassador Programme is a fully developed volunteering program that has stood firmly with the Macao community for 15 years to provide a platform for team members to serve the community. With Sands China being an important stakeholder in the local community, the Sands Cares Ambassador program is an influential tool that illustrates the company’s unwavering commitment to contribute to society, serving as an important connection between Sands China and local residents. Therefore, on the 15th anniversary of the Sands Cares Ambassador Program, Sands China is calling on all sectors of society to answer the call to “#BeMyVolunteer” and encourage more people to volunteer with Macao’s social service organizations.
The Sands Cares Ambassador Programme is part of the Sands Cares global corporate citizenship programme.
