"There is a Mandarin saying that those who have the money should contribute money, and those who have the strength should contribute strength. I’m glad that today, I have a chance to do a bit of both by pledging my donation to the President’s Challenge and taking part in the Vertical Challenge,” said Mr Yuen Sai Kuan from the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

And it was no ordinary vertical marathon that he participated in as he was joined by over 200 officers from the Environment Headquarters (ENV HQ) and its two statutory boards, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the PUB.

Defying gravity, many of the participants climbed up all 27 storeys of the ENV Building — all for charity! Senior management, the Minister for the Environment Lim Swee Say, Permanent Secretary of ENV Lam Chuan Leong, Chairman of PUB Tan Gee Paw and CEO of NEA Lam Joon Khoi, also rose to the challenge.

Funds and fun!
The ENV-NEA-PUB Vertical Challenge 2003 was organised as part of A.C.T.I.V.E Day and also to raise funds for President’s Challenge 2003. As officers eagerly signed up for the individual, trio and relay events, pledges poured in from their excited friends, colleagues and bosses.

‘Yes, we did it!’
At the end of the event, the Vertical Challenge Shield was awarded to ENV HQ. There were also prizes for those who were named “Most Drop-Dead Gorgeous Gal or Guy”, “The Most Vertically-Challenged Individual”, “Baby Warriors” (the team with the youngest combined age) and more.
Most importantly, the ENV family well exceeded its target for the President’s Challenge. As one officer from NEA aptly put it, “We pledged, we climbed, we ached… but it was all worth it!”