City Developments Limited: Community Outreach -
CharityAs society makes great strides in development and growth,
there will always be some unfortunate segments that will lag behind.
In
embracing the spirit of "paying it forward", our priority is to be
involved in a wide range of charity-related activities to elevate the lives of
the less unfortunate amongst the community.
Beyond helping the less
privileged through our outreach efforts, we hope that the lives of those we
touch will also in turn touch someone else’s.
City Developments Limited: Community Outreach - Charity -
2011
City Sunshine Club (CSC) Getai
Outing
(3
December 2011)
CSC volunteers braved the torrential
downpours to accompany 20 senior residents of Indus Road and Henderson Senior
Citizen's Home (HSCH) to watch the performance of 70s getai maven, Ling Xiao at
Kreta Ayer Theatre - a trip down memory lane.
Ling Xiao belted
nostalgic tunes that melted the hearts of the seniors, transporting the
delighted audience back to their younger days in the 70s. After the performance,
the CSC volunteers had dinner with the elderly before sending them back to HSCH
and their homes. It was an unforgettable night for the senior citizens, reliving
the sweet memories of their youthful days.
Overnight Adventure at Jurong Bird
Park
(25
and 26 November 2011)
As part of the club’s ongoing
youth development plan for less-privileged children, CSC volunteers participated
in a Children’s Camp that included a sleepover at Jurong Bird Park, with a
group of 30 children from Dreams@Kolam Ayer. The evening began with a sumptuous
buffet spread for everyone. The children proceeded to have an enjoyable
splashing time bathing the birds. Another highlight was the Night Walk of
Confidence where the children learnt to overcome their fear as they were guided
in pitch darkness by the volunteers, one-on-one. CSC volunteers then taught them
how to pitch tents in preparation for their sleep and played games and sang
songs with them before the entourage turned in
The next morning, there
was more spirited fun and laughter at the African Waterfall Aviary, where the
children were treated to the bold antics of birds that flew at close range and
perched atop their arms and shoulders. They also enjoyed an educational tour of
the Avian hospital within the Bird Park, where the park instructors took the
kids into the amazing world of their feathered friends.
Supporting para-athletes in the
pursuit of their dreams
(1
October 2011)
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Back row fourth from right: Guest-of-Honour, Mdm Halimah
Yacob, Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and
Sports. Back row second from left: Esther An, General Manager of
Corporate Affairs and Head of CSR, CDL. Photo credit: Zack Wong from Tilt
Pte Ltd.
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On 1 October 2011, the Singapore Disability Sports Council
(SDSC) launched their book, "Dreams: The Living & The Pursuit"
that features eleven local para-athletes. Six of them are "Living the
Dream" after having been a part of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics. The other
five are "The Pursuit" – those with the potential to represent
Singapore in the London 2012 Paralympics. Each of their compelling stories
are told beautifully in the book.
Besides being an inspiration, the
book has two objectives: to raise funds and to raise awareness of disability
sports. SDSC is the only organisation in Singapore that provides sports for
persons across all forms of disabilities.
All the
photographs in the book were taken by a team of six voluntary photographers led
by Mr. Kwek Leng Joo. CDL also provided the venue at City Square Mall for the
book launch and the photo exhibition (which ran from 1 to 9 October 2011).
Mid Autumn Festival Party for
Assisi Hospice
(31
August 2011)
City Sunshine Club (CSC) volunteers gave the
residents of Assisi Hospice a memorable Mid Autumn Festival party. They
decorated the hospice with paper lanterns and brought customary items such as
mooncakes and pomelos for a rousing celebration. Apart from a sumptuous dinner,
the participants enjoyed a graceful and traditional fan dance, band performance,
Chinese ballads and a wushi demonstration, all performed by senior management
and staff of CDL. Some members of the management went on to distribute mooncakes
to the bedridden residents who were unable to join in the celebrations at the
main hall.
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A traditional fan dance performed by the staff of
CDL.
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The senior management of CDL visiting bedridden
residents of Assisi Hospice.
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BB CARES 2011
(23
July 2011)
A longstanding partner of the BB CARES
(Community Activities Rallying Everyone to Serve) programme, CDL once again
partnered the Boys’ Brigade (BB) for the BB CARES 2011 event, to bring fun
and laughter to the various beneficiaries (comprising children, youth and those
with special needs from Child @ Street 11, Whispering Hearts, and Bishan Home
for the Mentally Disabled as well as the elderly from the Moral Senior Activity
Centre - Toa Payoh), via a series of fun outdoor activities. Chaperoned by 19
volunteers from City Sunshine Club, the beneficiaries enjoyed an afternoon of
games and activities such as Laser Tag, Woodball and Bonsai Grooming at the
Bishan Active Park. They were also treated to a Bagpipe performance and Fancy
Drill by the BB. BB CARES is an annual community service programme in support of
the President’s Challenge.
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An elderly lady enjoying a game of Woodball, with
guidance from CSC volunteers and a member of the Boys Brigade.
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Senior citizens nurturing their green thumbs with the
help of a CSC volunteer, as part of a bonsai grooming activity.
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Fun With Wayang Kulit
Puppets
(23
June 2011)
In the spirit of serving the community, City
Sunshine Club volunteers assisted terminally ill children, from the Arc
Children’s Centre, in making Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets) during a
puppetry workshop conducted by artists from the The Esplanade. The puppets made
by the children will be displayed at The Esplanade’s visual arts gallery
in September, leading up to Octoburst 2011, a children’s festival held in
October, where the children and CDL volunteers will be invited back to view the
display and watch a puppetry performance.
Assisi Hospice Charity Fun Day
2011
(19
June 2011)
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CDL volunteers eager and ever ready to lend support at
the Assisi Hospice Charity Fun Day 2011.
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In line with CDL’s strong culture of volunteerism and
giving, the Company once again lent its full support to the Assisi Hospice
Charity Fun Day held on 19 June, joining the over 200 enthusiastic volunteers
and 170 stalls selling a plethora of delicious cuisines. The aim was to raise
funds that will go towards the expansion and improvement of the Hospice’s
three core services of in-patient care, home care and day care centres,
relieving them of a huge bulk of expenses.
As a long-standing partner
of Assisi Hospice since 1999, CDL and its subsidiary company, CBM Pte Ltd once
again co-organised the Charity Fun Day, for families to revel in a day of fun
and to engage in the spirit of giving. CBM provided services in the areas of
cleaning management as well as car park and traffic control while CDL together
with its sister hotels – M Hotel, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel,
Copthorne King’s Hotel and Orchard Hotel – took up a 36-metre
pavilion to sell mouth-watering local delicacies and hotel
specialties.
The annual event, which raised over S$800,000, was graced
by Ms. Indranee Rajah, the Minister of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, who
sportingly took photographs with performers and toured over 170 stalls to
present the certificates of appreciation to volunteers.
KidsOut 2011
(8
June 2011)
City Sunshine Club volunteers participated in
KidsOut 2011, a day of joy, excitement, laughter, happiness and warmth for less
fortunate children from various orphanages and special homes in Singapore,
organised by the Rotaract Club of Singapore East, a non-profit voluntary
organisation, The volunteers befriended and assisted 200 children as they
participated in a pottery workshop . Though the children had never attended
pottery classes prior to this, they enjoyed themselves thoroughly and even
created little masterpieces of their own to take home.
Sesame Street Meet & Greet for
Underprivileged Children at City Square Mall
(3
June 2011)
40 children from Dreams @ Kolam Ayer had an
enjoyable time participating in a Sesame Street colouring and green handicraft
workshop held at City Square Mall. Chaperoned by City Sunshine Club volunteers,
the children were also treated to a delightful Meet & Greet as well as
photo-taking session with their favourite characters from Sesame Street.
Heart Voyage III -
President’s Challenge Tea Reception
(27
May 2011)
Heart Voyage is a series of three volumes of
photographs published by Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director of City
Developments Limited, an avid photographer who believes in doing good through
the art of photography.
Marking his support of the President’s
Challenge for the third time, the earlier being 2005 and 2008, Mr Kwek has
donated Heart Voyage III - his latest and last personal photo art book from this
series to raise funds for this year’s President’s Challenge. Heart
Voyage III pays tribute to the role of heritage and culture in societies and
features about 100 photographs, including interesting national monuments and
places, which speak volumes about heritage preservation and its significance,
even in modern day Singapore.
60 copies of Heart Voyage III were sold,
raising a total of S$300,000. All proceeds will go towards the beneficiaries of
President’s Challenge 2011. Collectively, Mr Kwek has helped to raise over
S$550,000 for President’s Challenge, through the sale of his three photo
art books.
CDL Extends Helping Hand to
Survivors of the Japan Disaster
(March
2011)
CDL organised a fundraising campaign towards
humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in stricken areas
of Japan following a series of massive earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear plant
meltdowns. The combined efforts of CDL staff and a business associate raised
close to S$50,000 and were matched dollar-for-dollar by the Company, resulting
in a total cash donation of S$100,000 to help disaster victims in Japan.
CDL & OCBC Bank’s Gift
to the Children’s Aid Society
(17
March 2011)
To commemorate the official opening of OCBC
Bank’s 15th Premier Centre at the Marina Bay Sands on 17 March,
CDL’s Managing Director, Mr Kwek Leng Joo, shared one of his photo works -
a three-metre photograph depicting a panoramic view of Mount Yakedake against
the breathtaking sunset on the horizon. In appreciation of the gift, OCBC Bank
made a donation of S$20,000 to the Children’s Aid Society, a charity
chosen by Mr Kwek, which is also a beneficiary of City Sunshine Club,
CDL’s employee volunteer platform.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Luncheon for Man Fut Tong Nursing Home
(16
February 2011)
City Sunshine Club (CSC) celebrated the Year of the Rabbit
with residents of Man Fut Tong Nursing Home with a Luncheon on 16 February 2011,
followed by entertainment specially prepared by CSC volunteers. CSC also
presented Venerable Seck of Man Fut Tong Nursing Home with a cheque for $8,000
to help defray the costs of daily necessities such as milk powder and diapers.
Man Fut Tong Nursing Home (MFT), a beneficiary of CSC since 2009, provides a
tender, loving and caring environment to help 225 elderly residents live out
their golden years to the fullest.