| James Kon |
NINE hundred people from all walks of life participated in the Charity Weather Run yesterday, raising $12,988 for Acquired Learning Resources and Specialised Equipment for special needs students under the Special Education Unit (SEU) of the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Held at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien, the charity run was organised by the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD), Ministry of Communications (MinCom) with collaboration from the SEU.
The event was held as part of BDMD’s and the MinCom’s contribution towards their corporate responsibilities to the local community.
Minister of Communications cum guest of honour Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, who flagged off the run, also participated in the 3km run.
Permanent Secretary at the MinCom Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad and Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MinCom Dr Haji Supry bin Haji Ladi were also in attendance.
The charity run was split into three categories: a 12km competitive run for male and female runners, a 5km fun run, and a 3km fun run.
According to meteorological observer Fahrina binti Mohd Sarif, the Charity Weather Run aims to educate the public on the significance of weather and climate change, which can affect the daily lives of each individual.
An upgraded version of BDMD’s Brunei WX mobile application (now available with a Malay language version) – an app which provides weather forecasts and information – was also introduced to the public. The improved app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
The winner of the 12km male category went to prolific local runner Sefli Ahar, with Khairul Anwar trailing in second place, and Soon Hua in third.
Fatin binti Ismail emerged victor in the 12km female category, followed by Julia and Claire, both from the United Kingdom, in second and third places.
The highlight of the event was the handing over of a mock cheque of the charity run’s proceeds by the guest of honour to SEU Acting Head Haji Ali Yusri bin Haji Abdul Ghafor.
Other activities included face painting and live doodle sessions by local artists, a weather simulation booth, children’s ‘weather science’ exhibit, as well as a calligraphy session organised by the SEU.
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