Chinese New Year Marathon 2013

Chinese New Year Marathon is an annual event organized by LEO Club of INTI International University as part of our community service projects. This event marks the 5^th CNY marathon that the LEO Club of INTI International University has organized.

The aim of this event is to bring the joy of this festive season to the homes that we visited. The targeted homes were government funded old folks home or orphanages. We celebrated Chinese New Year with the children and senior citizens, offering comfort in the form of companionship and possibly daily necessities with the help from sponsors.

The term “marathon” literally meant that we went from home to home; marathon-like. Two buses were booked for this purpose, with each bus having a different route. Both buses made stops at different homes and finally met up in the final home where participants from both buses worked together in the final home to celebrate Chinese New Year with the children there. 

Usually, during this festive season, family and friends will gather for a reunion dinner and have long chats afterwards to catch up with each other and enjoy each other’s company. This would be followed by visitations to the homes of those elder than them to perform a ritual called “Bai Nian “where they do further catching up and chatting . Children usually get “ang pows” as a form of blessing from the elders.

Participants were gathered in front of Multipurpose Hall at approximately 8.00 a.m. on the 23^rd of February 2013 . The bus started its journey to the first home at 8.300 a.m. and we arrived our first home at 10.00 a.m.  Our first home was Persatuan Rumah Amal Murni Kajang which is a home for the disabled. We carried gifts, rice, food and drinks and etc that we got for them with the help from sponsors and participant fees.  We started off with Ice breaking session where we interacted with the residents at the home. This was followed by a moral dance session where we did a total of 8 songs with the addition of a common favourite , Chicken Dance , after we got a request from one of the residents. The Moral Dance received very good response from the residents. They joined in the fun by dancing and clapping along . Then, we had lunch with them. It was a touching moment as some of us knew that this was the last part of the program flow in the home and we have grown somewhat attached to our resident. We fed the residents and before it was time to bid farewell, we had a photograph session where the INTI LEOs were presented with a souvenir from the home. 

Interacting with the residents

A resident taking part in the moral dance

Group photo with Persatuan Rumah Amal Murni Kajang

We then proceeded to the second home , Rumah Charis for the Old Folks . We were divided into two teams. Some of us were sent to prepare tea time (sandwiches ) and the rest to interact with the old folks. This was followed by origami as well as moral dance session . We concluded the visit by having tea time together followed by a photography session.

A Grandma enjoying herself dancing wirh us!

Tea Break

 

Group photo with Rumah Charis residents

In Good Sheperds home , we listened to a brief talk from the person in charge about the organization and their objectives as well as how we can volunteer ourselves to help . We then interacted with their residents.

After another photography session , we began our journey back to INTI IU.  

Talk by representative from Good Shepherds Home

Fun photo outside the Home