PETALING JAYA: They call it the seven-year-itch for a reason: the fact is, falling in love is really not that hard. Staying in love? That’s another matter altogether.
To help married couples keep their spark, Focus on the Family Malaysia (FOFM) has some fun events lined up for couples.
FOFM is a non-profit organisation established in 1997 that has since had its main focus on helping families thrive via counselling services and other programmes.
This year, they are looking into attracting more couples to join their Date Night and their Run for Marriage event.
Date nights -- as we all know -- are the antidote to spicing things up in a marriage.
FOFM said that In 2021, 99.5% of 80 couples evaluated agree and strongly agree Date Night @ Home has strengthened their relationship with their spouse.
“Date Night @ Home will be carried out on March 26 via Zoom from 8:30pm to 10pm. Couples will have to pay a fee of RM50 and can expect to experience a lot of fun bonding activities and meaningful conversations that will deepen your connection with your spouse. There will also be an opportunity for both of you to renew your vows towards each other,” FOFM said.
They added that given the programme is designed for both husband and wife to engage in the activities together, therefore both spouses need to be physically present in the same space.
“Couples will receive a preparation guide upon registration as a warm up for Date Night @ Home and there will be a personal sharing session with Greg Smalley, vice-president of Marriage at Focus on the Family, and his wife, Erin Smalley,” FOFM said.
Another event that FOFM has been advocating for is their Run for Marriage programme.
“Almost 78,000 divorces were recorded nationwide since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020. In an effort to strengthen marriages, FOFM presents the Run for Marriage event in accordance with our Í Do! Married for Love, Married for Life’ campaign,” FOFM said.
“We aim to reach more than 1, 000, 000 individuals to celebrate and strengthen marriages through this campaign and would also like to raise RM250,000 through the Run for Marriage event,” FOFM added.
So, how can you help?
“It’s simple, you and your partner can run for 90km or 90 minutes and help raise funds through family and friends to donate for marriage,” FOFM noted.
They also explained that the reason behind the number 90, was that the world’s longest marriage was reported to be for 90 years.
The registration period for this run is until March 9; however the run and result submission period is till March 30.
“There is a small fee of RM60 per individual and RM100 per married couple. Runners will also get a Run for Marriage T-shirt, discount vouchers from sponsors and an e-certificate. We would also like to note that only Malaysian residents will be able to receive the T-shirt and it will be sent after registration closes,”FOFM said.
For those married couples who are looking to spice it up with FOFM’s Date Night @ Home you may visit https://family.org.my/home/programmes-events-all/date-night-at-home/ for more information on registration.
Those who are interested in the Run for Marriage event, please do drop by this link for further information: https://checkpointspot.asia/event/run-for-marriage
For any further enquiries, email FOFM at focus@family.org.my.
