Natori Designs Limited Edition Singlet for HSBC Anniversary Fun Run 2011

PRESS RELEASE – HSBC announces NGO Sa Aklat Sisikat (SAS) as beneficiary for 2011 anniversary run

Internationally acclaimed Filipino designer Josie Natori has agreed to design the limited-edition singlet for the HSBC Anniversary Fun Run 2011 to be held on November 26, 2011 at the Mall of Asia complex grounds. All proceeds raised from the run will be donated to the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation (SAS), a not-for-profit, professional Philippine organization that promotes the love and habit of reading in Filipino children in line with its vision to build a nation of readers.

Natori, whose thematic styles aim to bring art into life, will be designing the singlet based on her Fall 2011 collection: The Way of the Samurai. She said: “At Natori, we bring art into everything we do. Each piece is designed and crafted to be a personal treasure. And speaking of personal treasures, that’s exactly what every child is, which is why I’m very happy to contribute to this endeavor that seeks to improve the lives of underprivileged Filipino children through education.”

Tony Cripps, president and CEO of HSBC Philippines said: “Over the last eight years, our partnership with this year’s beneficiary, Sa Aklat Sisikat, has had a significant and positive impact on the lives of 650,000 Filipino students, 9,000 teachers and 285 principals. And we are particularly excited that a world-class talent like Josie Natori has agreed to design the singlet, further ensuring that the HSBC Anniversary Fun Run 2011 will not only be a huge success, but also a truly memorable event.”

Lizzie E. Zobel, co-founder and chairman of SAS, agreed. She said: “We were extremely happy to find out we were the beneficiary of HSBC’s run and even more excited when we heard Josie Natori was coming on board. HSBC has been a long-time supporter of education for Filipino public school children and with Josie Natori’s distinctive designs, HSBC’s event will certainly allow us to make significant headway in our efforts to improve the quality and reach of public school education.”

Margarita L. Delgado, co-founder and president of SAS, is enthusiastic about the tie up. She said: “HSBC has been a consistent advocate for improving the quality of education in our public school system and has supported us by filling the resource gaps that enables us to create innovative learning communities for the hundreds of thousands of public school children in this country. The HSBC Anniversary Fun Run has a very serious impact on nation building.”

The HSBC Anniversary Fun Run 2011 will feature 3K, 5K, 10K categories. Along with the Natori-designed singlet, each runner will also be taking home a loot bag containing other premium items such as a custom-designed HSBC water bottle, HSBC baller ID, and finisher shirt. There will also be a special 100-meter dash for children 12 years old and below.