Eastern Pacific Shipping has raised $1.5m for Mercy Ships in just 20 days, with a collective physical effort from more than 6,000 employees and friends.
The funds raised will be matched by the hospital ship charity in another fundraising event, which means the campaign’s total will reach $3m (SGD 4m).
The ‘To the Moon’ campaign covered 574,644 km (357,067 miles) — far beyond the original target of 384,400 km.
Eastern Pacific said the remarkable achievement was down to the commitment of its employees at sea and on shore, and a wider community beyond the maritime sector, who collectively took part in over 11,000 running, walking and cycling activities.
The company launched the fundraising project on 12 October with an Ironman race on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi.
Overnight endurance activities such as a ‘Round-The-Island’ — a ride, run and walk in Singapore — and ‘Zwift Ladies Takeover’ were some of the events that were carried out during the charity drive.
Eastern Pacific chief executive Cyril Ducau told TradeWinds he was proud of his team’s achievement and their commitment to creating lasting positive change.
“Seeing the entire EPS community come together with such energy and dedication has been incredibly inspiring,” Ducau said.
“EPS ‘To the Moon’ is not just about achieving a distance or a fundraising goal; it’s about uniting for a common purpose, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.”
Mercy Ships chief partnership officer Rick Menzies, who participated in the programme, said there was always a wonderful atmosphere of camaraderie, a great opportunity to get some exercise and a common purpose to raise money to help people in desperate need.
“Not only did they reach the distance to the moon, which was the objective, but managed to get halfway back to Earth again! One of the most successful campaigns I have ever seen,” said Menzies.
Eastern Pacific said the fundraising campaign “exemplified the company’s commitment to social responsibility and healthy lifestyles”, as well as its dedication to “fostering a supportive and active corporate culture”.
“We created EPS ‘To The Moon’ not only to honour the legacy of Sammy Ofer, who championed the value of giving back but also to challenge ourselves to go beyond what we thought possible in our efforts to support the global community in which we serve,” said Ducau.
“The level of commitment and participation we’ve seen is extraordinary, and we’re grateful for being able to make a difference to those in need with Mercy Ships.”
