1,500 climb Penang Hill for a good cause

Nature lovers don’t mind suffering and sacrificing a little for Mother Earth.

The super-strenuous Climb Penang Hill For The Environment 2009 held on Monday drew a large crowd just like in previous years.

Organised by Lions Club International District 308 B2, the 5km climb promoting environmentalism attracted 1,500 people who seemed to enjoy the outing and the company.

Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas flagged off the enthusiastic climbers at the jeep track next to the Botanic Gardens entrance at 8.15am.

The participants then embarked on a two-hour or longer journey on foot to reach the finish line at the fountain near the Penang Hill police station.

Also present at the event flag-off were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, state Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh and Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong.

Later during the event, Abdul Rahman also planted a tree to commemorate the climb and also the planting of 1,000 new trees by Lions Club.

The trees planted in 17 planter boxes are now lined up from the hilltop funicular train station to the fountain.

The new trees were planted by the organisation about a week ago.

The Star