A Singapore couple and their children have been spreading kindness in their neighbourhood by handing out free isotonic drinks to runners and members of the public exercising at Woodlands Avenue 12.
Syafa’at Rahman, 34, and his wife, Izyan Liana, 33, used their own money to buy and prepare the drinks before setting up a small refreshment station with two of their three children on Sept. 26.
The idea came after the couple saw an Instagram post from overseas showing someone giving drinks to long-distance runners as a gesture of encouragement. As runners themselves, they decided to recreate the gesture while giving their children a chance to experience the value of helping others.
Their children were seen holding a sign to attract runners to the free drinks station. An Instagram post about the initiative later received more than 21,000 views.
Izyan, who works as an educator at an Islamic education centre for children, said the experience allowed their children to see how a simple act such as offering someone a drink could bring happiness and encouragement. Some runners who stopped had already covered more than 20km and stayed to chat with the family.
Syafa’at, an assistant engineer, said runners understand how valuable encouragement can be during a long run. He said the couple wanted to make runners feel supported while also involving their children in an activity that could help them become more confident when interacting with strangers.
The positive response has encouraged the couple to continue the initiative through FuelGudClub, an Instagram platform they started. The project will initially focus on supporting runners with free drinks but could eventually expand into other forms of community giving.
The couple said their broader goal is to encourage more people to perform simple acts of kindness in their communities.
For the family, the initiative is not simply about giving away drinks. It is also an opportunity to teach their children that helping others can begin with something as simple as offering encouragement and refreshments to someone who needs them.
