Walking may be an activity you do daily, but when was the last time you went on a walk with a purpose? If you’re planning on going hiking, on a walking tour or just for a casual daily walk, why not make it more meaningful? That’s what we did.

We joined the #WalkForHumanity virtual walk, organised by Maybank Singapore in support of the Singapore Red Cross’ local and regional humanitarian relief efforts. From 20 February to 20 March, members of the public can participate in the virtual walk to raise funds and show support for SRC’s work.

For every kilometre clocked by a participant, Maybank will donate S$10, pledging up to S$150,000 in donations for humanitarian aid for communities affected by the floods in Malaysia and Typhoon Rai in the Philippines. This is in addition to Maybank’s earlier donation to the Singapore Red Cross to aid COVID-19 relief in Indonesia.

Public donations via Giving.sg are also welcome, to support Singapore Red Cross’ local programmes for the elderly living on their own – helping them with befriending and wellness; transportation to healthcare; and home safety services.

In total, Maybank hopes to raise S$300,000 in support of Singapore Red Cross’ local and regional humanitarian efforts.

If you’re joining the #WalkForHumanity, we’ve curated an easy walking tour from Tampines to Joo Chiat that you can try out. It’s a great activity for bonding and you can experience the rich history in the eastern side of Singapore.

Preparing For The Walk

Since we were planning on walking a lot, we prepared a few essentials and got ready for our day ahead. For starters, we made sure to wear comfortable and lightweight clothing. It’s important to wear clothes that you’re comfortable moving in, and it wouldn’t hurt to bring an extra shirt just in case you get sweaty and a jacket just in case it gets a little chilly. We’d also recommend bringing an umbrella, which you can use, rain or shine. In fact, we packed a backpack for our extra clothes. Some people might not like the hassle of bringing a backpack, but we figured the added weight would also help our fitness journey.

Of course, the most important piece of clothing would be your shoes. Fortunately, we already have trusty shoes that we already know won’t hurt our feet even if we walk for hours on end. We also packed a couple of water tumblers. After all, the last thing we wanted is to get thirsty while walking and shell out money we could have saved just by packing our drinks.

Naturally, we didn’t forget to take care of our skin and personal hygiene. Since we knew we would be out in the sun, we made sure to put on a good amount of sunscreen to stay safe from the sun’s rays and deodorant to make sure we smelled fresh all day long. We also brought our power banks to charge all of our gadgets and, of course, money.

The Walk

With all of our essentials ready, it was time to see what we could discover on the way. Here are some of our favourite hidden gems:

The Red House

The Red House is a prestigious and luxurious old residence located in Katong that will take you back to the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Rich families once built their weekend mansions here; but today, the area is filled with colourful shophouses that bring together culture and heritage. Enjoy a whole treasure trove of history, architecture, and art.

Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery

Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery, located at Bedok North Street 4, is famous for its wide range of delicacies perfect for all sorts of events. Whether for a mini-celebration or a special occasion, they have cookies, fried delicacies, pastries, cakes, main courses, and signature handmade kueh made with time-tested recipes that remind you of your childhood.

The Eurasian Heritage Centre

What was once just a small room in 2003, the Eurasian Heritage Gallery, was revamped in 2019 and is now a heritage attraction that will take you through the culture and history of Singapore’s Eurasian community. Located along Ceylon Road, you can check out exhibitions and galleries and even enjoy special activities and workshops. You can also sample the traditional Eurasian fare at Quentin’s Eurasian Restaurant and the Eurasian Community House’s restaurant.

Overall, our walk was a huge success – we clocked in 10,000 steps (that’s about 8km) on the Apple Health app and got to explore hidden gems at the same time. What a fun and productive day!

Are you ready to join #WalkForHumanity too? Joining the walk won’t just get you moving and help a good cause, you’ll also be able to enjoy special perks. Aside from everyone getting an e-certification and an e-badge, the first 1,000 participants can also collect a special event face mask that can be collected at MSpace at Maybank. Plus, you will get access to the 42Race rewards page filled with online promotions and redemptions. You can also flash your confirmation email or the 42Race in-app rewards at participating offline stores to get discounts, while stocks last.

Registration for #WalkForHumanity begins now. Learn more about the campaign and how you can join at maybank.sg/walkforhumanity or on Maybank’s official Instagram page (@MaybankSG) or Facebook page (@MaybankSingapore).