• speeches

Welcome Address by ISCA President Mr Kon Yin Tong at ISCA Run at OCBC Square on 26 May 2018 at 7:25am

ISCA Advisor, Mr Teo Ser Luck

Fellow Runners

Good morning.

A very warm welcome to all and thank you for taking part in the ISCA Run 2018. I am very encouraged to see so many of you here today.

ISCA has been organising the ISCA Run for the past five years, to encourage healthy living and work-life balance among the accountancy profession as well as the public. We are pleased to hold the run again at Singapore Sports Hub. We are heartened to learn that we have about 1,700 runners participating in today’s run, a significant increase from close to 1,300 runners last year. As with past years, today we have runners from different ages and diverse walks of life, from a five-year-old taking part in the 150m Family Fun Dash, to a 72-year-old running the five-kilometre route.

This run also marks the opening of the ISCA Games 2018, which will be held till early December. Today, we have with us runners who are representing their companies, including the Big Four and Mid-Tier firms, Small and Medium Practices, as well as Professional Accountants in Business (PAIBs) across a range of diverse industries. The top four finishers for the 10km Ladies and Men categories, and the 5km Ladies and Men categories will be awarded points that will contribute to their team’s overall score in the ISCA Games. This year, 15 companies including representation from the commerce sector will be participating across 28 different games to compete for the overall championship. I wish you all the best in your effort to finish among the top performers in the ISCA Games.

Apart from promoting healthy living and fostering camaraderie among the accountancy profession, the ISCA Run aims to create greater awareness for ISCA Cares, our charity which has been accorded IPC status. We value education as one of most important keys to a better life. With your donations and support, ISCA Cares has been able to reach out to many needy Singapore youths with academic potential to gain access to quality accountancy education. Last year, which was the second year since the ISCA Cares Education Programme started, there were 29 recipients of the ISCA Cares bursary.

With the increased donations, we were able to offer the bursary to four beneficiaries for the second time and provide them sustained support.  Your presence and contribution in today’s run will go a long way in enabling the Charity to reach out to even more youths in need and promote a strong social conscience and spirit of inclusivity in the accountancy community. Do visit the ISCA Cares booth located between the information booth and the baggage deposit, where our staff volunteers are happy to share more with you.

As we proceed to the flag-off, I wish all of you a refreshing and enjoyable run in this beautiful weather. Thank you.