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WHM PUBLIC RELATIONS
Singapore Maritime Foundation
GMA launch 26 Feb
MARITIME ADVENTURE FLAGS OFF!
1. Singapore, 26 February 2005 About 250 people today plunged into a day-long race in the first-ever reality adventure organised by a corporate entity and in the process, learnt about the maritime industry. The 85 teams, each of three people, were participants in the Great Maritime Adventure organized by the Singapore Maritime Foundation.
2. Team members received a "maritime passport" that provided clues to the various locations of the race, but more importantly, it was to open their eyes to the excellent career and business opportunities in maritime.
3. The participants were flagged off by the Minister of State for Transport and Finance Mrs Lim Hwee Hua at Clifford Pier, a significant landmark in Singapore's maritime history.
4. For the rest of the day, the teams competed by solving clues, found in the passport, that led them to six stops at various locations around the island. The challenge was to complete the physical and mental challenges at each stop and move on to the next stop as fast as they can.
5. Each of the six stops reflected a contributing sector of the maritime industry to Singapore's economy. By completing each challenge, team members learnt about the significance and contribution of each sector to the economy.
6. Some challenges were original, entertaining and at the same time, demanding. The Sticky Wall challenge, for example, required team members to wear Velcro suits to scale a specially textured wall. The human joust was another fun activity where a member had to knock his competitor off the pedestal before proceeding to the next challenge which was to solve a giant jigsaw puzzle.
7. For many participants, it was an eye opening experience as they ventured to far-flung locations of maritime significance. SMF general manager Trudy Leung said: "The GMA serves to bring the maritime industry closer to the masses and to change perceptions about the maritime industry. At the same time, we made it fun for participants as we are encouraging youths and young adults to seriously consider maritime as a career."
8. Participants said that by visiting the various locations, they gained better insight into the maritime industry. One team member enthused: "I have never known that there's so much more to maritime than just shipyards. I am glad I joined the race!"
9. The race was SMF's first public outreach effort to promote the industry, and as a sign of its commitment, a total of $25,000 worth of cash prizes and other goodies were given out to the winners. The winning team won $10,000, second place winners received $7,500 while the third team got $5,000. An MP3 player was also presented to every member of the three winning teams. Winning teams received their prizes from SMF Chairman Mr Teo Siong Seng.
10. Mr Teo also presented a cheque for $5,100 to a representative from the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund. The money was raised from the $30 registration fees collected from participating teams and matched dollar-for-dollar by SMF.
11. Certainly, the SMF event has taken Singaporeans another step towards realizing that the maritime industry could be the route towards that dream job, that meaningful career and that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
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