KUCHING: A total of 2158 runners yesterday took part in the SMK St Joseph Joggerthon held at the school.
Organised by the Old Josephian Association (OJA), the event raised about RM200,000 for the restoration of the school’s Mill Hill Bock.
The joggerthon was divided into two categories – the 3-kilometre run and 8-kilometre run.
Prior to the event, the Kuching City Joggers Club donated RM3,000 directly for the school restoration.
Gracing the event were the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Datuk Dr. Sim Kui Hian and Archbishop Simon Poh.
Sim, when interviewed later, said that the block was declared unsafe by the Public Works Department five years ago.
“It was due to this declaration that the school decided to stop the holding of any activities at the block.
“The most affected parts of the block are the left side which houses the Surau and Chapel and the centre.
“We need a total of RM2 million to restore the entire block,” said Sim.
He also disclosed that work on the block would include converting it into a boarding wing for school boarders and a walk-in museum.
“We want to make SMK St Joseph a boarding school again so that students from other parts of Sarawak can study in the school as well. This was how the school used to operate,” said Sim who is also the President of OJA.
In view of the large number of students graduating from St. Joseph in the last 100 years, he was confident of more donations from the public for the restoration work.
“St Joseph is an aided school and therefore, any repair work on its facilities must be funded by the school itself, OJA, the church and also members of the public,” said Sim.
Yesterday’s joggerthon was also held in conjunction with the 135th anniversary of the school. There will also be a dinner at Imperial Hotel on 17 November to celebrate the anniversary.
Joining Sim in the joggerthon was the Minister of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture and a former student of the school, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Karim was also joined by his classmates and schoolmates who sported the ‘Class of 77’ t-shirts.
Currently, SMK St Joseph has 1,350 students and 112 teachers.
