It’s that time of year again — the crisp and breezy “Cathay Family Day.” Despite the damp and chilly weather with occasional light rain, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of families coming together to have fun. Nearly 10,000 Cathay employees and their family members gathered at Rainbow Riverside Park to play marbles, fish, try bungee jumping, do DIY painting, and take part in lucky draws — they did it all, with laughter echoing everywhere. What’s particularly noteworthy is that this year, Cathay Financial Holdings invited social welfare organizations to join in the family fun, “sharing our happiness with these groups. This makes the Family Day even more meaningful,” laughed one Cathay employee.
This “Cathay Family Day” event allowed normally busy executives and employees to forget about work, put on casual clothes, and spend a joyful weekend with their families. Even Peter Chang, General Manager of Cathay Life Insurance, took the time to bring his grandson along to enjoy some rare quality grandparent-grandchild time.
When Xiao Mitao Jiejie (Little Peach Sister), a beloved children’s icon, made her appearance, kids and adults alike went wild, crowding to the front of the stage to catch a glimpse of her. They swayed and danced to the left and right with Xiao Mitao Jiejie, shaking it to the beat as the atmosphere on-site reached a fever pitch.
Peter Chang stated that Cathay Life Insurance is actively committed to the physical and mental well-being of its employees. Through the organization of Family Day, the company hopes to strengthen team cohesion, foster cooperative synergy, relieve work pressure, and enhance opportunities for parent-child interaction.
Li Yongzhen, Cathay Vice President and Chairman of the Employee Welfare Committee, noted that despite the unfavorable weather, the number of participants exceeded last year’s figures. To double the sense of happiness among colleagues, Li said that this year’s Family Day attempted to combine “welfare” with “charity” by inviting nearly 200 children and their parents, teachers, and volunteers from three social welfare organizations — Zhongyi Children’s Home, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, and Peace Worldwide Association — to join in the fun. This helped spread happiness and joy to even more people.
Many children and parents were initially a bit shy as this was their first visit to the venue, but the lively song and dance performance by the Flower Expo dolls soon livened up the atmosphere. One volunteer mom shared that these children seldom get to travel far from home and don’t often have much time with their parents. With so many games to play, the kids were absolutely thrilled. She expressed gratitude for Cathay’s sharing of love, which gave these children, who usually dare not wish for too much, an unforgettable day and broadened their horizons on life.