Aon raises more than S$200,000 for charity - and sets a record

Singapore

AON raised more than S$200,000 for charity at its Round the Island Challenge event, which started at 4pm on Friday and ended on Saturday morning.

A team of 26 - which included Aon employees and business partners from Asia - embarked on an expedition to paddle around the island of Singapore in three outrigger boats.

The Singapore Paddle Club supplied the boats and 13 members from the club coached the team since October 2019 and steered during the event. A record was set on Saturday, with the team circumnavigating Singapore in 17 hours and 10 minutes which is a first by an outrigger boat in Singapore.

Geoffrey Lambrou, CEO, specialty broking & operational excellence, Asia, Aon, said that Covid-19 posed many challenges, but the activity proceeded with measures such as regular temperature checks in place.

Funds of S$30,000 and S$175,000 have been raised to date for the Singapore Children's Society, and The Nicholson Memorial Fund of the Atlas Foundation, which was set up five years ago to improve the lives of the poor through rugby.

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Aon aims to raise S$275,000 altogether with a fundraising event after the virus outbreak blows over. Mr Lambrou said: "At the heart of Aon's work is a mission to empower economic and human possibility. By taking on this challenge, we want to do our part in helping vulnerable children thrive in the face of abuse and adversity. We hope that this will enable them to contribute to their communities while maximising their own potential."

Business partners Canopius and Kennedys Law were among the participants of the challenge.

Mark Newman, CEO, Asia Pacific & MENA, Canopius, said: "The 2020 Aon Singapore 2020 Round the Island Challenge brought people from across the insurance industry together to achieve a record circumnavigation of Singapore. We were motivated with the ultimate prize in mind being the charities and causes."

Ben Nicholson, partner at Kennedys Law, team mate and founder of the Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund, said everyone at The Nicholson Memorial Fund & The Atlas Foundation was overwhelmed by the support.