THE 2015 Bottled Hope Race and Bottled Hope Day was a resounding success with 1,000 people joining in.
Held last Sunday in Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur, the event, which is part of Pernod Ricard Malaysia’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, entertained all in the whole family.
There was an exciting array of food and drink stalls, environmentally themed workshops, inspirational talks and a feel-good run for fitness enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Pernod Ricard Malaysia managing director Terence Ong said the initiative was to collect used glass bottles and convert them into solar powered light sources called Brightboxes.
“By distributing the Brightboxes to earthquake-stricken communities in Nepal and impoverished rural areas in Malaysia, we hope to illuminate 1,000 homes.
“Bottled Hope Day is our way of sharing our excitement for environmental change and community development with the public,” he said.
“Everyone can play a part; we want to encourage individuals to consider their recycling habits and consumption patterns, and help empower them to transform their environment.
Participants that joined the event had an insight into how to build a Brightbox themselves during a workshop.
Frenchman Matthieu Mertens, who is a designer in Biji-biji Initiative, gave a talk on reducing waste and sustainable living. He also showing how discarded bottles can be recycled.
“We provided solar panels and batteries to participants so that they could learn to use alternative electricity to power up their homes instead of turning on a switch,” he said.
Ashvin Pal, 24, who is also a designer in Biji-biji Initiative, said the Brightboxes were then donated to Yayasan Nanyang for the Nepal earthquake victims.
There was also be a booth for visitors to adopt a Brightbox which costs RM350 but with a special donation fee, the cost of each Brightbox is reduced.
Constructed on a rubberwood frame and illuminated by an energy-efficient LED light, the Brightbox can shine for 12 hours between charges. Ten local and international artists unveiled their custom-designed Brightboxes.
Meanwhile, the Bottled Hope Run had four categories — 7km men’s open, 7km women’s open, 7km Relay Run and 3km Family Fun Run.
Those who completed the race were awarded a medal, certificate and limited-edition Bottled Hope water bottle.
Additionally, for every relay team that crossed the finish line, a Bottled Hope light was lit up.
Proceeds from the event will be channelled towards creating more Brightboxes and those interested in finding out more can visit www.bottledhope.com
