Charity golf tourney to collect funds for kids with learning disabilities

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RONALD McDonald House Charities Malaysia (RMHC Malaysia) announced their 18th annual RMHC Malaysia-Tropicana Charity Golf Championship at the Tropicana Golf & Country Resort recently.

Proceeds from the fundraising event will be channelled towards the building of more Ronald McDonald Sensory Rooms in aid of Malaysian children with learning disabilities.

The Ronald McDonald Sensory Rooms, established in schools for special needs children, contain multi-sensory equipment that serve as a crucial tool for teachers and physiotherapists or occupational therapists to make lessons effective for these children through their senses of touch, smell, sight and hearing.

Attractive lure: The main sponsors with the hole-in-one prize BMW 320i Coupe.

Over the course of time, utilising the Ronald McDonald Sensory Room on a weekly basis will enable these children to learn essential life skills such as walking, speaking, memorising and interacting with people, which eventually leads to self-confidence to adapt and function in society.

To-date, RMHC Malaysia has 12 such facilities in 12 centres across Malaysia for the rehabilitation and teaching of these special children.

“We hope to establish at least one Ronald McDonald Sensory Room in every state in Malaysia, especially in centres that actively promote teaching and rehabilitation of children with learning disabilities” said RMHC Malaysia president Chan Chee Chin.

“Most schools need the equipment but find it difficult to purchase and maintain them. Through this sponsorship valued at a minimum of RM80,000 per school, we also help to maintain the equipment for as long as the school is in operation. We also fund the teachers’ training to utilise the equipment in the correct manner and to maximise usage.”

Plans are underway to establish the Ronald McDonald Sensory Room in Perlis, Kedah and Negri Sembilan. The funds raised at this year’s event amounting to RM180,000 will be used to fund these projects, apart from the maintenance of the existing Ronald McDonald Sensory Rooms.

McDonald’s Malaysia has been one of the major corporate donors for the RMHC-Tropicana Charity Golf Championship since 1993, having contributed at least RM50,000 each year towards this fundraising initiative. In addition, McDonald’s Malaysia plays an active role in supporting all of RMHC Malaysia programmes as part of the company’s community relations efforts.

McDonald’s Malaysia managing director Sarah Casanova said: “Providing underprivileged children with the opportunity to master essential life skills and be part of society makes our contribution all the more meaningful. RMHC’s programmes in the areas of children’s education, health and welfare resonate with the McDonald’s Malaysia community objectives and we are happy to support these initiatives.”

Special guests Christine Wong, president of the Special Children Society of Ampang and Zuairiyah Md Noor, principal and assistant secretary of the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Kuantan Centre) whose organisations are beneficiaries of the Ronald McDonald Sensory Room, shared their respective experiences on how the facility had enriched and benefited the children in their care.

Also present at the media conference were the various sponsors of the event, including Tropicana Golf and Country Resort Berhad, MacFood Services (M) Sdn Bhd and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

Each of the 140 participating golfers received exclusive TaylorMade-adidas merchandise and also stand a chance to win an exclusive BMW 320i Coupe as the Hole-in-One prize. A minimal donation of RM1,200, which is tax-exempted, is the pre-requisite to enter this golf championship.