Sands Cares Ambassadors Celebrate Venetian's 15th Anniversary with Macau Special Olympics

Four local NGOs join fun parent-child activities

(Macao, Aug. 28, 2022) – Members of four NGOs – including Macau Special Olympics (MSO) – and their families rode in gondolas, played games and enjoyed other activities Sunday with Sands Cares Ambassadors in celebration of The Venetian^® Macao's 15th anniversary. Participants also received health checks as part of the MSO Healthy Athletes programme, with Sands Cares Ambassadors lending a helping hand.

The fun parent-child event, The Venetian Macao 15th Anniversary Presents: Sands Cares Healthcare Day, was organised by Sands China and MSO, and co-organised by Macau Medical and Health Federation, in promotion of the health of people with intellectual disabilities.

"Sands China is very pleased to share the joy of The Venetian's 15th anniversary with Macau Special Olympics, with whom we have a long and successful history of working together," said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. "Our thanks go to our Sands Cares Ambassadors for always sharing the company's goodwill with our community partners, and to Macau Special Olympics for their collaboration and for the invaluable services they provide to people with disabilities and their families."

On the same day, Sands China Ltd. made a MOP 248,000 donation to MSO in support of its Healthy Athletes programme. Co-organised by Sands China and MSO, this free programme aims to improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities and to reduce relevant parenting stress. Having helped identify health issues for 5,500 people with intellectual disabilities, with 600 children and young adults with intellectual disabilities having enjoyed follow-up treatments fully funded by the programme to date, the Healthy Athletes programme also offers useful advice for caregivers of its participants.

Hetzer Siu, national director of Macau Special Olympics, said: "It is a pleasure to be invited to this valuable event to celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Venetian Macao. MSO and Sands China have collaborated for over 15 years, and it is now the 9th year since the launch of our Healthy Athletes Programme. Through this programme, Sands Cares Ambassadors and our members have developed a great bond, which gives the local community a better understanding of the challenges faced by families with intellectual disabilities individuals. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Sands China to benefit even more people in need."

A total of 300 people participated in Sands Cares Healthcare Day for some fun activities, where 100 Sands Cares Ambassadors accompanied 150 children with disabilities and their family members from four local NGOs: Macau Special Olympics, the Association of Parents of the People with Intellectual Disabilities of Macau, the Macau Association for Intellectual Development Services, and the Macau Down Syndrome Association.

In addition to enjoying indoor gondola rides and playing at game booths, the special guests visited the V15 time tunnel, joined a parent-child handicraft workshop, and received a gift pack featuring a Venetian signature doll.

Guests of honour were Prof. Sze Tat Ming, chairman of Macau Special Olympics; Leong Sun Iok and Ngan Iek Hang, members of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR; Chen Jian, deputy director of the social work department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Chow Pui Leng, director of the Centre of Psycho-pedagogical Support and Special Education of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR; Lao Kit Man, representative of the Social Welfare Bureau of the Macao SAR; Dr. Jerry Wong, vice president of the Macau Medical and Health Federation; Dr. Wilfred Wong; Grant Chum, chief operating officer of Sands China Ltd.; and other members of the Sands China's executive leadership team.

Sands China's community initiatives and the company's Sands Cares Ambassador programme are part of Sands Cares, the global corporate citizenship programme of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp.

The Sands Cares Ambassador programme was established in August 2009 to give Sands China team members an outlet for serving the local community by organising community activities and initiatives that work toward creating a better Macao. With membership of more than 3,300 volunteers from across all Sands China properties – Sands^® Macao, The Venetian Macao, The Plaza^® Macao, The Parisian Macao and The Londoner^® Macao – the Sands Cares Ambassadors have contributed more than 175,000 hours of voluntary community service since the programme's founding.

Photo caption: Guests of honour officiate the opening ceremony of The Venetian Macao 15th Anniversary Presents: Sands Cares Healthcare Day on Sunday.

Photo caption: Dr. Wilfred Wong (right), president of Sands China Ltd., presents a ceremonial cheque for MOP 248,000 to Prof. Sze Tat Ming (left), chairman of Macau Special Olympics, in support of MSO's Healthy Athletes programme Sunday at The Venetian Macao.

 

Photo caption: Participants of Sands Cares Healthcare Day play games and enjoy other activities at The Venetian Macao Sunday.