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Saturday March 11, 2006

Walk with a caring touch

By CHRISTINA CHIN

A HEART FOR CHARITY: About 850 people turn up to walk for a good cause in an event organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia students. The effort in Penang raised RM30,000 for five organisations.
WITH a spirited wave of the Jalur Gemi-lang by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, 850 people of all ages embarked on a 2.5km walk around the Penang Muncipal Park and Waterfall Road route for the Walk of the Caring Hearts campaign.

United by a desire to help the less fortunate, the participants gathered at the break of dawn to register for the event last Sunday.

Even a clown on stilts turned up to lend his support. Entertaining the younger ones with his funny antics, Samuel the Clown kept the children amused with his animal-shaped balloons.

The park's field was already a sea of co- lours by 7am as the public and students, clad in specially designed T-shirts, wandered around in eager antici-pation of the flag-off at 8am.

Arriving back at the field about an hour later, the participants then made their way to the park's main stage for a magic show.

MORAL PLAY: USM students entertaining the crowd with a sketch presentation.
When Samuel the Clown peered from behind the curtains, his wide painted grin was replaced by an impish smile.

And in place of the towering clown was a small boyish figure who amazed the crowd with his illusions and witty banter.

Performing several seemingly effortless tricks, magician and clown Samuel Chong even managed to free himself after being bound by a rope. It was an act that even Houdini would have been proud of.

Then it was time for Malaysian Idol vocal coach and singer-songwriter Juwita Suwito to take to the stage with songs from her debut solo album Brand New World.

The Kuala Lumpur-based singer said she came to lend her support because “the (USM's) Persuasive Communication students were very persuasive and it is for a good cause.”

“It is also important to encourage idealistic university students.”

WARMING-UP EXERCISE: Participants limbering up before their 2.5km walk.
After several rounds of lucky draws and a sketch by the students, Suwito delivered her final number - the famous Belaian Jiwa.

The enthusiastic crowd sportingly cheered, clapped and sang as she got off the stage to pass the microphone around.

The charity event was organised by USM final-year Persuasive Com-munication students.

USM School of Communica- tion dean Assoc Prof Dr Mohammed Zin Nordin said this was the first time students of the school had undertaken such an ambitious project.

“The New Millennium Graduates (NEMGRADS) Team has done us proud by successfully organising such a massive project involving the community.

“They have used all the prac- tical and theoretical skills learnt during the course of their studies to put this charity effort together.”

A total of RM30,000 and hampers worth RM5,000 were later presented to Eden Handicap Service Centre, Asia Community Service, Rama-krishna Ashrama, Penang Adventist Hospital and Mercy Malaysia.

The money was raised from the charity walk, cash contributions and sale of T-shirts.

Lucky participants of the walk took home RM12,000 worth prizes, including a handphone, MP3 player, digital camera, designer sunglasses and a diamond jewellery set.

Intel was the main sponsor of the charity project and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was its patron.

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