Singapore
The proceeds will go to 52 charities under the President’s Challenge 2017.
President Halimah Yacob taking a wefie with guests after the show.
SINGAPORE: The President’s Star Charity raised S$7.66 million on Sunday evening (Dec 10).
In its 24th edition, the show – themed “It takes all of us” – aims to inspire the community to do their part to help the less fortunate. The proceeds will go to 52 charities under the President’s Challenge, including Community Chest, Association of Muslim Professionals, Singapore Red Cross Society and Alzheimer’s Disease Association.
The two-hour event took place at MES Theatre at Mediacorp, with President Halimah Yacob making her first appearance as guest-of-honour on the show.
“It really doesn’t matter how much you contribute, the most important thing is that it came from the heart,” said Madam Halimah in her opening speech.
“I’ve seen so many hearts coming together to support the President’s Challenge – people from all walks of life – who come together to give, contribute and do their best. We have professionals, corporate sponsors, foundations, religious groups – we also have children – kindergarten children that came together to bake cookies and to raise funds for the President’s Challenge. It’s really, really heartwarming.”
This is also the first time where the charity show has extended beyond the theatre – members of the public joined radio personalities like Joakim Gomez and Sonia Chew to pack and distribute goody bags to 336 senior citizens and low-income families living in HDB flats.
President Halimah Yacob and her husband, Mr Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, distributing traditional Peranakan desserts to guests during the show.
“On behalf on the 52 beneficiaries, I want to thank all of you. I want to thank everyone for your hard work and your effort in making this possible. I look forward to working closely with everyone for many more years to come so that we can come together and build an inclusive and caring society,” Mdm Halimah added.
Hosted by television personality Gurmit Singh, news presenter Glenda Chong, actor-host Paul Foster and radio host and actress Kimberly Wang, the show also featured a star-studded line-up that included and international celebrities like Grammy Award-winner Daniel Powter, best known for his chart-topping hit Bad Day.
Singapore’s veteran artiste, Rahimah Rahim, also made her fifth appearance on the show by performing an opening song with 22-member orchestra Orkestra Melayu Singapura.
Singapore’s veteran artiste, Rahimah Rahim, making her fifth appearance on the show by performing an opening song with 22-member orchestra Orkestra Melayu Singapura.
Actress Rebecca Lim went on the piano and played alongside the TENG Ensemble, a group that blends traditional and contemporary tunes, to perform four childhood songs in Mandarin and Malay.
A repeat telecast of the show will be broadcast at 5pm on Dec 16 on Channel 5. Viewers may also catch the show via catchup on Toggle from Dec 16.
The public may call in to make donations of S$10, S$50 and S$100 up till midnight on Dec 16 by calling the following numbers:
For a S$10 donation: 1900-112-8821
For a S$50 donation: 1900-112-8822
For a S$100 donation: 1900-112-8823
Members of the public can also donate online or use the Dash app to send in their donations.
