Foetus International StARTs CSR Arm
Marketing group, Foetus International, launched its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, StART Foundation. The group has taken up a large double-storey house in Petaling Jaya that serves as an arts academy for underprivileged children. The youngsters, aged seven to 17, from five Klang Valley orphanages are taught music, art, drama and dance free of charge. The cost of maintaining the place, which is leased, is about RM400,000 a year.
The classes are under the supervision of full-time programme directors Joshua Lee and Rachel Yeow. The group’s executive director, Rosie Hong, was quoted as saying, “(Foetus executive chairman) Datuk Vincent Lee observed that many people in the advertising profession, when they retire, would volunteer in some kind of organisation or others to give back (to society)… [he thought] ‘Why wait till you retire and are old? Why not do it while you’re still active.’ And being in this industry, he feels the best way of giving back is to give back in the form of the arts,”
Hong was reported to have said, “We thought about the commitment to StART Foundation, reviewed it and asked ourselves whether we should wait for another year because it is a challenging year, but Datuk was adamant that there’s never a ‘right’ time to do good, so we should just do it.”
The START Foundation is a charitable body unlike any other in Malaysia. It draws on the regenerative ability of the arts to heal, to inspire and to unlock potential, to reach out to children of less fortune. START is founded on the concept that the arts provide children with the capacity to express, find and stretch themselves to their true potential and in so doing, build a better world for themselves.
Chairman and founder of the foundation, Vincent Lee said “It is poor children who will benefit the most from the wonders of art and creativity; art offers them the key that will unleash their lives in the way they were meant to be lived.
“When setting up START Foundation, we envisioned a world where the best creative minds and talents could channel their gifts back into society and to children that they may be empowered to have better lives
“Science has proven that even children who are not intrinsically artistic can benefit from the joy of art. In other words, art enriches the lives of all that it touches.
“We hope that the START Foundation will offer new beginnings, inspiration and hope to those who need it most,” he added.
Datuk Vincent Lee is also the Group Executive Chairman of Foetus International, one of the largest communications conglomerates in the country with specialized companies in Advertising, Media Services, Public Relations, Event Management, Customer Relationship Management, Direct Marketing, Mobile Content and Interactive Digital Technologies.
The Green Hearts Celebrity Golf Tournament has so far managed to attract blue-chip corporate sponsors such as: ADOI Magazine, Asiaeuro Wines, Aster Spring, Astro Awani, Carlsberg, Capital Land, CSE Automotive Technologies, DiGi, Dunhill, F&N (100 Plus), Kurnia Insurance, L’Oreal, Mamee, Nikon, Nin Jiom, Nippon Paint, Panasonic, Prince Court Medical Centre, Saujana Golf & Country Club, Sincere Watches, Sony Ericsson, Sports Toto, TaylorMade and The Star.
Marketing group Foetus International launched its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, StART Foundation, recently. The Foundation offers music, art, drama and dance classes to underprivileged children, aged seven to seventeen, from five Klang Valley orphanages.
The classes are under the supervision of full-time programme directors Joshua Lee and Rachel Yeow. The group’s executive director, Rosie Hong, was quoted as saying:
(Foetus executive chairman) Datuk Vincent Lee observed that many people in the advertising profession, when they retire, would volunteer in some kind of organisation or others to give back (to society)… [he thought] ‘Why wait till you retire and are old? Why not do it while you’re still active?’ And being in this industry, he feels the best way of giving back is to give back in the form of the arts.
Hong was reported to have added:
We thought about the commitment to StART Foundation, reviewed it and asked ourselves whether we should wait for another year because it is a challenging year, but Datuk was adamant that there’s never a ‘right’ time to do good, so we should just do it.
The START Foundation draws on the arts to heal and inspire the less privileged children. Furthermore, the Foundation hopes to unlock the children’s potential by providing them the avenue to express, find and stretch themselves.
Chairman and founder of the foundation, Vincent Lee was reported to have said:
When setting up StART Foundation, we envisioned a world where the best creative minds and talents could channel their gifts back into society and to children that they may be empowered to have better lives.
Science has proven that even children who are not intrinsically artistic can benefit from the joy of art. In other words, art enriches the lives of all that it touches… We hope that the StART Foundation will offer new beginnings, inspiration and hope to those who need it most.
The START Foundation will tee off with a charity golf tournament on 26th August 2009.◊
