A Class Act – Pharmacy Class of 2009 garner 100% participation rate!

16 June 2009

– By Joy Yong Hui Yan and Constance Teo Hui Ling, Pharmacy Class of 2009

Excited runners from the Pharmacy Class of 2009, all full of energy and ready to hit the road!

There’s nothing like team spirit. As a class, we have been together throughout this fantastic journey which is now coming to an end. To commemorate this seminal event, the Pharmacy Commencement Class put together the first ever Giving Charity Run 2009 for the NUS Department of Pharmacy. Over the past 4 years, the strong unity and genuine relationships forged between us have brought us together to become one big, happy pharmily!

By raising much needed funds through this charity run, we hope to bring some comfort and relief to the less fortunate pharmacy students of current and future cohorts, and hope that future classes will continue this worthy tradition.

Our pharmacy lecturers and department staff also participated enthusiastically either through gift pledges or running in this event to help reach our fund raising target of S$2,009. To encourage faculty participation, our class pledged an amount for every pharmacy lecturer who broke a sweat by running with us. The stakes were high.

Held on 17 April 2009, the 4.3 km run around the NUS Kent Ridge campus was truly an exciting and heart-warming sight to see as a total of 99 people (77 students, 8 lecturers, 7 pharmacy staff and 7 graduate students) participated. The group gathered at the loading/unloading bay outside the dispensing lab for pre-warm up exercises and preparation for the run at 6:30pm.

The Pharmacy Commencement Class Giving Charity Run - in Philadelphia, USA!

The camaraderie of our class even extended internationally as three classmates (Eesang, Peirong and Choonhan) who were away overseas on the NOC programme (NUS Overseas Colleges), planned a simultaneous run in Philadelphia in the cold weather. They pledged a generous S$200.90 from their own pockets!

The run helped further our bonds and team spirit and as the run came to a close near Yusof Ishak House, our flushed faces and tired bodies were soaked in sweat but the smiles on our faces were wide and grinning with pride. The event ended with a spontaneous Pharmacy Cheer!

Thanks to the overwhelming response and support from the Pharmacy student and faculty groups, we were able to raise a whopping S$4,733.90 and more importantly received 100% participation from the Pharmacy Commencement Class—a first for any commencement class at NUS. The event was wonderful and memorable ending to our four year journey as a class.

Pharmacy Class of 2009 – the 98 of us

We would like to thank our Head of Department, Prof Chan Sui Yung (who has been very supportive throughout this event) the lecturers, academic and non-academic staff. Last but not least, our most heartfelt thanks go to every member of the amazing graduating Pharmacy class of 2009, which made this event and every day on campus come to life!

Follow the example of the Pharmacy Class of 2009 and help support students in financial need. Make a gift to Annual Giving 09 now!