EZ-Link Card Donation Drive Raises Over $42,000 for Ex-Leprosy Patients

Issued By: EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Transit Link Pte Ltd

SINGAPORE, 8 May 2006 – Commuters and tourists in Singapore have helped raise $42,453.62 for ex-leprosy patients simply by dropping off their spare ez-link cards and used single trip MRT cards into donation boxes at selected MRT stations.

A total of 32,650 cards were collected between July 2005 and February this year from donation boxes at six major MRT stations: Boon Lay, Bugis, Changi Airport, Chinatown, Orchard and Yishun MRT stations.

This is the second year that EZ-Link and TransitLink have jointly launched this EZ-Link Card Donation Drive, and CISCO Security has been roped in this year as a sponsor whereby it waived all charges for the collection of the monies and cards.

The deposit on the cards and their remaining dollar value were donated to Singapore Leprosy Relief Association Home (SILRA Home) – the adopted charity for this seven-month long project.

SILRA Home is a social service programme, supported by Community Chest, which helps ex-leprosy patients who have been rejected by their families mainly because of their deformities. Mr Lim Kah Lee, 69, is one such person.

Mr Lim contracted leprosy at the age of 10 and was abandoned by his parents after his condition deteriorated four years later. Although both his legs were amputated below the knee under doctors’ advice, today, Mr Lim is happy and content living in SILRA Home. With the Home’s help, Mr Lim is able to pursue his dream as an artist; he goes to La Salle – SIA College of Arts every Saturday to hone his drawing and painting skills.

Today, on behalf of SILRA Home, Mr Lim received a $42,453.62 cheque from Dr Fong Seck Kong, General Manager of TransitLink, and Mr Gregory Danker, Vice President, Marketing & Communications of EZ-Link. The donation will be used to run rehabilitative, social and recreational activities for SILRA Home’s residents. These include gardening, fish rearing, handicraft and basket weaving activities, as well as outings.

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