Sands Cares Ambassadors help local community thrive and grow, rain or shine

Sands China Ltd. considers it part of its corporate social responsibility to be fully engaged in the local community, helping it thrive and grow.

Years of serving the community
Caring for those in the community who are vulnerable and in need of assistance, Sands China’s team members have been volunteering their time in the community in their off-duty hours since 2005. In 2009, the company decided to formalise those efforts through the establishment of the Sands Cares Ambassador (SCA) programme. Throughout these 11 years, the number of volunteers rose from 200 team members to a current membership of more than 3,300. The volunteers have put in more than 110,000 cumulative hours of service to date.
Since the SCA programme’s founding, more than 500 activities have been organised. Those include participating in One Day Volunteer, visiting the homes of live-alone elderly for annual spring cleaning, responding to Typhoon Hato with relief efforts, and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of Macao with the local community with a Sands Dream Explorer Activity. And as Sands China’s dynamic integrated resorts bring in new and exciting attractions, SCAs accompany members of the community to enjoy the latest offerings, such as inviting Macau Special Olympics athletes to do a Tower Fun Run up The Parisian Macao’s iconic Eiffel Tower with none other than David Beckham, and hosting special needs children to experience the innovative and interactive art space of teamLab SuperNature Macao.
Taking into consideration that the SCAs possess various talents, the company decided to form a working committee for the SCAs to better let them unleash their skills and capabilities, aiming to organise more systematic community activities with the overall goal of serving more people.
This September, the SCA programme celebrated its 11th anniversary with a ceremony at The Venetian Macao, featuring the inauguration of the new SCA working committee and an award presentation for three Macao winners of the Mr. Sheldon G. And Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Awards – created in 2017 to honour the family’s long-term commitment to philanthropy and the legacy of giving they have instilled within the organisation.
“Every team member has his or her own talents, which include skills from electronics repair to performing arts and everything in between. In order to precisely put these skills into actions that benefit the community, there are organising committees holding meetings regularly to brainstorm, and to discuss ideas and innovative ways to contribute,” says Annie Lam, Director of Community Affairs.
During the challenging time this year under the pandemic, Sands China’s dedication and support to the community has never ceased. Sands China has pledged to donate MOP20 million to help contain the spread of the virus and to assist with relief efforts in mainland China, and reserved another MOP5 million for supporting the local community in implementing preventive measures.
The company has donated a total of over 650,000 pandemic health and hygiene items like hand sanitizer, medical gloves and shower caps to local community organisations, with 500,000 medical facemasks donated to the Macao SAR government, as part of the company’s pledge to support Macao’s efforts to combat the fast-spreading virus.
“Macao is our home,” said Sands China Ltd. President Dr. Wilfred Wong. “And Sands China cares for our home, as we walk together with our community in taking care of each other. We are very proud of our Sands Cares Ambassadors for their commitment to service to the Macao community over the years, and for exemplifying Sands China’s core values as representatives of the company in the community. Sands China is pleased to see the establishment of the Sands Cares Ambassador working committee, and we hope it will further strengthen our efforts to continue giving back to society and injecting more positive energy into the community.”