Part of Sands China’s poverty relief efforts in Guizhou province
(Macao, July 2, 2019) – A group of around 30 Sands Cares Ambassadors visited families in Guizhou's Congjiang County June 22-24, as part of Sands China’s ongoing poverty relief efforts in the county and in response to the Macao SAR government’s call for targeted poverty alleviation in mainland China.
The volunteers visited 10 families at a village in the mountains, where they shared gift packs containing staple food items like oil, rice, sugar and noodles, and household essentials such as tissues, bedsheets and detergent. The items were contributed by the Sands Cares Ambassadors themselves, who walked along the village and hillside to deliver them to each family, who were very grateful for the visit. Together they chatted, the villagers talking about their daily lives with the volunteers.
The trip was part of a year-long series of celebratory activities leading up to the 10th anniversary of the Sands Cares Ambassador programme in August 2019, with the theme Spreading Love and Embracing Our Community.
“Sands China is very proud of the Sands Cares Ambassadors for their efforts to personally contribute to the company’s work in Congjiang,” said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. “For a decade now, our volunteers have provided service to the less privileged, creating a positive impact on the Macao community, and this trip to Congjiang has allowed them to further extend their spirit of service in support of the poverty alleviation in mainland China.”
Wong Ka Fai, one of the participating Sands Cares Ambassadors, said: “I really had a great experience on this visit to Congjiang. One of the most significant takeaways for me was experiencing the kind-heartedness of the families we visited. Even though they didn’t have much materially and are living under difficult conditions, they manage to remain positive and hopeful, which I found to be very inspiring. It makes me even more grateful for the advantages I have in my own life, and it was a good reminder that we have so much to give to others – not only materially, but of our hearts and of our time.”
The Ambassadors also visited local cultural spots and experienced folk performances and local customs. Sands China plans to organise additional Congjiang tours in the future, with the aim of contributing to the development of Congjiang’s tourism industry.
Sands China’s poverty relief efforts with Congjiang County are ongoing, and the company was the first integrated resort operator in Macao to purchase goods from the impoverished county, having received three batches of products to date, including items such as chili sauce, mineral water, and local oranges.
The Sands Cares Ambassador programme was established in August 2009 to give Sands China team members an outlet for serving the local community by organising community activities and initiatives that work toward creating a better Macao. With membership of more than 3,300 volunteers from across all Sands China properties – Sands Macao, The Venetian® Macao, The Plaza® Macao, Sands® Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao – the Sands Cares Ambassadors have contributed 100,000 hours of voluntary community service since the programme’s founding.
The Sands Cares Ambassador programme is part of Sands Cares, the global corporate citizenship programme of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Photo caption: Around 30 Sands Cares Ambassadors prepare the essentials items – contributed by the Ambassadors themselves – before visiting families in Guizhou's Congjiang County June 22-24, as part of Sands China’s ongoing poverty relief efforts in the county and in response to the Macao SAR government’s call for targeted poverty alleviation in mainland China.
Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors walk along the village and hillside to deliver essential items to each family during a trip to Guizhou's Congjiang County June 22-24. The trip was part of Sands China’s ongoing poverty relief efforts in the county and a response to the Macao SAR government’s call for targeted poverty alleviation in mainland China.
Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors visit families at a village in the mountains of Guizhou's Congjiang County June 22-24, as part of Sands China’s ongoing poverty relief efforts in the county. Together they chatted, the villagers talking about their daily lives with the volunteers.
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About Sands China Ltd.
Sands China Ltd. (HKEx: 1928, Sands China or the Company) is a Cayman Islands registered company and is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Sands China is the largest operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The Company’s integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip comprise The Venetian® Macao, The Plaza® Macao, Sands® Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao – with The Londoner Macao to be reintroduced as The Londoner Macao. The Company also owns and operates Sands® Macao on the Macao peninsula. The Company’s portfolio features a diversified mix of leisure and business attractions and transportation operations, including large meeting and convention facilities; a wide range of restaurants; shopping malls; world-class entertainment at the Cotai Arena, The Venetian Theatre, The Parisian Theatre, the Sands Cotai Theatre and the Sands Theatre; and a high-speed Cotai Water Jet ferry service between Hong Kong and Macao. The Company’s Cotai Strip portfolio has the goal of contributing to Macao’s transformation into a world centre of tourism and leisure. Sands China is a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS).
For more information, please visit www.sandschina.com.
Sands Cares
A firm believer in the importance of corporate social responsibility, Sands China Ltd. engages with the local Macao community as a part of Sands Cares – the charitable giving programme of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp. Sands Cares integrates the company’s philanthropic work worldwide in four key areas: financial giving, community problem solving and collaboration, in-kind donations, and team member volunteerism.
Key areas of Sands Cares in Macao include the Sands Cares Ambassador programme for volunteering in the local community; charitable contributions to NGOs and community organisations; and sponsorship of community events.
For more information, please visit www.sands.com/sands-cares/our-commitment.html.
