Find out how we pulled off our SGH Bicentennial 200km Ride.
The Idea
Could it be done? It seemed like a simple idea. Get a group of colleagues who are mad about cycling to cycle 200km around Singapore to celebrate SGH’s 200 years of caring for the nation. At the same time, the ride’s aim would be to inspire friends, family, colleagues and even the public to support the less privileged among us through our SGH Needy Patients Fund. How did we do it? Follow the recipe.
Prep Time: At least 4 months
Cook Time: 13.5 hours
Directions
Riders during training sessions faced tyre punctures, riding aside heavy vehicles in the hot sun and killer slopes.
1. Recruit a group of committed and passionate cyclists who are willing to train on weekends for the 200km ride. We had allied health professionals, administrators, doctors and nurses who took on the challenge. It certainly helped to have our leaders CEO Prof Kenneth and CMB Prof Ruban in the mix too.
Worklife unit and nurses formed the logistics team.
2. Form a strong and reliable logistics team to plan the route, the stops for breaks and factor in the safety aspect. Have the team familiarise themselves with the route and organise practice sessions for the riders too.
3. Once the details of the ride and practice sessions are planned and organised, bring in the Development Office team to plan the giving approach, engage the various stakeholders and set up the pages on a giving platform where supporters can rally behind the cyclists by donating to both the group and individual champions’ sites. The riders help to spread the power of doing good together by encouraging their friends, family and colleagues to support.
4. Mix in the communications wizards slowly till you see the storytelling rise to the surface. Look for pre-publicity with great pictures, videos showing how the riders are rising to the challenge, overcoming obstacles and motivated by their passion for helping needy patients and publicising the giving pages. Continue stirring.
On the SGH200km Bicentennial Ride day, CEO Prof Kenneth Kwek in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning at Bowyer Block
5. Prep a sprinkling of Security and FME colleagues to plan for ensuring a safe and well lit environment at the start of the event and put aside.
6. After months of preparation and hard work, 27 March is when all the elements come together nicely. As the riders assemble at 4am in the morning and embark on their epic 13.5 hour ride, the logistics teams ride with them in 2 buses to ensure they have adequate snacks, water and first aid items as well. At the same time, they capture footage of the ride and interviews and send them to the Comms team. Upon receiving the information, the Comms wizards organise, name, select and stitch appropriate material together with music and text into videos to post online. The Ride ends with supporters at the finishing line welcoming the tenacious cyclists.
*Chef’s Tip: Subsequently the publicity attracts OCBC to offer their support via free participation in their OCBC Cycle event and media coverage for the riders and their cause
Catch a slick recap of the event on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/47292171680/videos/1653386758204252
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