IT was supposed to be just another weekday afternoon for the young students of San Joaquin Elementary School in Santo Tomas, Batangas, until Sumitomo Heavy Industries (Philippines) Manufacturing & Services (SHIMS) arrived and transformed their afternoon into school day of memorable fun and creative learning.
As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, Sumitomo partnered with Lego to give the kids an opportunity to explore the limits of their creativity and passion.
From its inception, SHIMS has operated on the belief that “serving society is a benefit to the company.” Today, this commitment to reaching out and making the world a better place can be seen in their numerous CSR efforts all over the world. The SHIMS and Lego partnership for the event in San Joaquin Elementary School is the latest in a long-running and continuing series of philanthropic campaigns from the company.
“Partnering with Lego for this CSR event is a very special opportunity for the kids of Santo Tomas,” shares Hiroji Okamoto, president and CEO of SHIMS. The opportunity to spark something new and creative inside the minds of the next generation is a task the company is happy to support. San Joaquin Elementary School is not the only beneficiary of this partnership. The company has reached out and helped kids using Lego through sponsored CSR events before at other locations.
For the Lego workshop and free play period, participating children were given the chance to recreate a miniature Lego version of a real-life excavator machine by Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co. Ltd, which is the division that manufactures and sells construction machinery. They even flew in a real master builder, Jumpei Mitsui, to inspire the next generation of creative builders. Mitsui is one of only fourteen Lego Certified Professionals in the entire world, with each one having received special recognition from the Lego company for his or her building proficiency.
Mitsui personally designed the 97-piece Sumitomo Excavator Kit that the children were tasked to complete. Mitsui says that despite the seemingly high number of pieces, he kept the kit simple enough for even young children to figure out by themselves. His main challenge was keeping that simplicity without sacrificing the accuracy and the “coolness” of the model. It was a difficult balancing act to be sure but judging from the delighted faces of the children participating in the event, it was one that Mitsui succeeded in achieving.
The Sumitomo Excavator Kit is modeled after a real-life piece of the SH210-6, which is one of the most fuel-efficient hydraulic excavators of the Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.
Here in the Philippines, Sumitomo’s hydraulic excavators are distributed by Macro Construction Equipment and asphalt pavers by Kurashiki Equipment Philippines Corp.