Feature in Straits Times

Dear friends,


We would like to thank Straits Times, Ms Grace Chua and Mr Albert Sim for helping club rainbow and us feature our cause. We would also like to thank Ms Teri Liew, Ms Diana Chan and Mr Tan Thong Meng from Keppel for helping us with the photos which was taken on a 42 Benito named "Endeavour" (nicely summarising our effort!) at Keppel Bay marina.

We are deeply grateful. Below is the link to the article, do check it out!

Setting sail across the Pacific for sick kids

By Grace Chua

Mr Jiang (left) and Mr Kok hope to raise $250,000 for Club Rainbow by taking part in a segment of the Clipper Round The World yacht race. -- PHOTO: ALBERT SIM

MEDICAL students Kok Yee Onn and Jiang Lei, both 21, have zero sailing experience.

But they aim to be medics aboard a yacht traversing the Pacific Ocean - and to raise $250,000 for the children's charity Club Rainbow while doing so.

Mr Kok and Mr Jiang, both in their third year of study, are taking part in a segment of the Clipper Round The World yacht race, which trains paying crew members with no prior sailing experience to circumnavigate the globe.

This is the first time participants here are using the race as a platform for charity, said Keppel Corporation, which is sponsoring the Uniquely Singapore boat.

Said Mr Jiang: 'Why kids? They have the most potential for growth. And it's a great chance for us to represent Singapore while serving kids.'

In June, they will learn to sail aboard a ship at the Falmouth Marine School in south-west England.

The real adventure begins next February as they sail from Qingdao, China, to California in about five weeks.

So far, Mr Jiang has raised his whole $21,000 entrance and training fee from sponsors. Mr Kok still has about $15,000 to go.

From now till after their trip, they hope to raise at least $250,000 for Club Rainbow via sponsorships and donations.

For updates on their adventure, visit
http://sailforsmiles.blogspot.com/

Article found at:
http://www.straitstimes.com/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f6bb99a25bc60210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=cf70758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090406-133590.html

http://app.mfa.gov.sg/pr/read_content.asp?View,12450,

Once again, we would like to thank Straits Times as well as our sponsors!

Yours sincerely,

Jiang Lei and Yee Onn

About Club Rainbow's Mission, Vision and Logo

OUR MISSION

To provide compassionate relevant services to children suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses and their families

OUR VISION

To be a leading service provider meeting the needs of chronically ill children and their families

OUR LOGO

Our logo consists of a rainbow within a heart.

The four coloured bands of the rainbow represent the four mainraces of Singapore. The rainbow symbolises the innocenceand beauty of childhood. And just as childhood is afleeting phase of growing up, the rainbow too is by nature,a transient entity – a bridge between the sun and rain.

The heart is a reminder that as we strive to provide relevant services to assist our children and their families, everything we offer is done wth a compassionate heart.

Rafflesians Unite

The experience of being a Rafflesian is one that often shapes an individual into their fullest potential, but the beauty lies in the fact that it does not conform to any fixed mold. That is the reason why Rafflesians constantly excel in their various fields, from academic pursuits to sporting achievements. Being in Raffles Institution meant you were free to pursue any interest you were passionate in, and were given the proper training and resources to pursue it with excellence. It was during my days at RI that I developed my passion for adventure, for always taking the path less travelled, and I am filled with pride to have the Rafflesian community's support in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Yee Onn and I were both deeply affected by our education at RI, and in more ways than one it is the Rafflesian Spirit that continues to drive us to sail for charity. Yee Onn has always been passionate about community service, and contributed much to the less privileged via his participation in the Interact Club. He continues to do so, helping out with Project Lokun, a medical initiative to benefit the villagers of Cambodia, providing free healthcare service through a mobile clinic.

On the other hand, I have always been a keen and curious adventurer. My friends and I were always restless, looking for ways to break into the clock tower to see if stories about it being haunted were true. Even when I was at Raffles Junior College, I never lost the spirit of adventure, spending hours exploring the vast underground tunnels of the old RJC campus and going on kayaking expeditions with the scouts.

Although we did not know each other well during our days in RI, it is interesting how our common identity as Rafflesians now propel us to represent Singapore in the Clipper Race, and we will definitely be doing our best for the team. It is only natural that as Rafflesians we continue to give back to the community, and we are proud to have adopted a charity to sail for.

I would like to thank Mr. Magendiran, Deputy Headmaster of RI, Mrs Lim Lai Cheng, Principal of RI for allowing me the opportunity to speak to the students and their support. In addition, I would like to thank the RI prefects for their extremely encouraging and well-designed support banner. Lastly, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the teachers and students of RI for giving generously to support us in our cause. Knowing that the Rafflesian community is behind us will definitely help us tide through the challenging moments as we sail across the pacific.

Our Goals and Aims

• GOAL 1:

Representing Singapore, the sailing, sporting and medical fraternity, we hope to sail trans-Pacific in the Clipper race and make history (and hopefully a podium finish!).

In doing this, we want to promote

1. Singaporean sporting spirit and culture

2.Love of adventure and challenges

3. Values like resilience and perseverance

4. Showcase the collegiality and active spirit of our fraternities, alma mater, university and medical alumni who have given us strong support

We would like to thank our current sponsors for helping us with the financial cost of sailing, which is over $20000 per person. We still need about $17000 more and hope that interested sponsors will contact us at kokyeeonn@gmail.com or megabyte_sg@hotmail.com. (We have a sponsorship proposal and presentation as well as various media opportunities we hope to discuss if a meeting can be scheduled :))

We are also organising sports and sailing talks, outings and activities for youths and the student community. If you are interested to help or if you think it is a good idea for us to come down to your organisation to share more, please contact us as well at kokyeeonn@gmail.com or megabyte_sg@hotmail.com.

We will only take corporate or private donations specifically outlined for the sailing cause. Otherwise, ALL donations, especially public, goes towards Club Rainbow Singapore.

• GOAL 2:

Promote awareness and raise funds for children via Club Rainbow Singapore

We hope to symbolically raise at least S$250 000, which is 50 dollars for each of the harsh nautical mile we will be sailing as well as use the media opportunity in this sailing race to raise awareness about Club Rainbow.

In doing so we hope to promote:

1. Helping Children who need our help

2. Love of children and the spirit of giving, helping

3. Values like giving back to society, helping others in need.

We hope to promote awareness about social causes and galvanise social activism in general, particularly that of children. Even in tough times, worthy causes are still very important. The less fortunate will need our help even more in the current economic climate. Tough times don't last, but worthy causes do.

Club Rainbow needs the money to continue providing an all-encompassing emotional, informational, educational, social and financial support to its beneficiaries. It needs over a million dollars a year.

We will do the symbolic hard work; all you have to do is identify with ours and Club Rainbow Singapore's cause and donate!

We are doing at least 5000 nautical miles each (trans-pacific from Qingdao, China to California, USA), of braving -20 degrees celsius chills, 20 foot waves, 3 to 4 hours of shift work and broken sleep for 5 weeks (!!!). It definitely doesn't rank below doing tiring night calls as house officers!

Please support your fellow Singaporeans and charity!

What are you waiting for?

Yours sincerely,

Jiang Lei and Yee Onn

P.S: For current donors, supporters and sponsors; a heartfelt THANK YOU! for your support and donations thus far!!

About the Clipper Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail around the world non-stop in a single-handed yacht. He always had the idea that ocean racing should be accessible to everyone and was keen to break the myth that it was just the preserve of the rich or the privileged.

Race crews come from all walks of life and different cultures, united only by their common spirit of adventure and drive to succeed. The race is over 35,000 miles, spanning 14 cities on five continents and divided into seven legs. For each leg of the race, crew members spend up to five weeks aboard the yacht, battling tumultuous storms and freezing temperatures as they compete to secure the prestigious Clipper Cup. Points are awarded Grand Prix style, so every leg of the race counts towards victory.

Because it is the only round the world yacht race open to non-professional sailors, all competitors have to undergo a grueling training session. Along the way, crew members also pick up skills such as baking, navigation, nautical communications and first aid, all of which are essential to the success of the team.

For the 09-10 race, Singapore is proud to be represented by one of ten identical 68-foot racing yachts, "Uniquely Singapore", sponsored by Keppel Corporation and racing partners the Singapore Tourism Board. The 30-ton yacht is crewed by an 18-man team and will spend ten months sailing around the world. During the race, the yachts will arrive at Singapore in January, and as with previous years, it will truly be a momentous event seeing the Singapore team return to a hero’s welcome complete with a celebrated prize presentation ceremony!

We will be competing in the trans-pacific leg 5, undoubtedly the toughest, between February and April 2010, as sailors and sailing medics onboard the "Uniquely Singapore Yacht". So please support us and your fellow Singaporeans! :)

Yours sincerely,

Jiang Lei and Yee Onn

Training to Sail

What We Need: