SHANGRI-LA’S Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu kicked off this year’s activities leading to the race day of the country’s highly anticipated sporting event, the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3, with a charity bike-out for Children’s Haven Orphanage of the Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines Inc. in Cordova town, Cebu.
The activity was held on Aug. 8, 2019, three days before the Ironman race.
The resort has retained its partnership with the orphanage for four consecutive years now. This initiative will help build a sustainable garden with a rainwater harvesting system, which will provide young residents easy and safe access to healthy greens, save costs on utility bills and develop the values of stewardship and resourcefulness. With the resort’s continuous support, this project is expected to unceasingly develop over the years.
The resort’s own team of triathletes, headed by general manager René Egle, biked a total of 24 kilometers from the resort to the orphanage and back. The team was greeted with warm hugs upon arrival at the orphanage.
“Because of the support of the Ironman activities done in the past years, we have survived, and of course, with the support of Shangri-La Mactan, which has been very good to us,” said Martiniana Mercado, the executive director of the Children’s Haven Orphanage.
Aside from the resort’s assistance, guests also shared donations and goodies to the orphanage. Some of the few guest donors included Bryan James Putt, a loyal guest of the resort who has been helping the kids in the past years; the Goldberg family; Ironman participants who donated sportswear and athletic shoes; and Peng Wei-Tan, who contributed 50 sacks of rice.
During the “Meet the Pros” press conference, the chairman of Alaska Milk Corp. and founder of Sunrise Events Inc., Wilfred Uytengsu Jr., announced that they would continue to provide a yearly supply of milk for the orphanage, staying true to his pledge in 2018.
The resort’s guests who wished to donate to this cause received a complimentary limited edition Ironman shirt.
Mauricio Mendez, Ironman 70.3 2018 champion, took part in signing shirts to be given away for this cause.
Ironman 70.3 2019 champion and a pro himself, Tim Reed, also donated his own race bib, which he personally signed. The signed shirts of Mendez and Reed along with eight limited edition Ironman shirts signed by the Ironman pros could be owned for a minimum donation.
To know more about Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu’s corporate social responsibility projects, interested guests may get in touch with Lourdes Jimenez at (63 32) 231-0288, or send her an email at lourdesmae.jimenez@shangri-la.com.