ChildAid raises record $450,000 for underprivileged children in Singapore

ChildAid, the annual children´s charity concert organised by The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, has raised a record $450,000 for the two charities, bringing the total amount raised since the inaugural concert in 2005 past the $1 million mark.

Thanks to strong corporate support and healthy public ticket sales, the collection for the two-night concert, has surpassed last year´s $390,000 (The list of sponsors are listed below.). The first ChildAid concert in 2005 raised $330,000.

“This proves that the Singapore public has a big heart and supports young local talent,” said Mr Peter Khoo, Organising Chairman of ChildAid. “We are humbled and grateful to every one for their tremendous support.

“We are also deeply appreciative of the support and expertise provided by the National University of Singapore´s Centre For the Arts which has come on as our venue and production partner for the third consecutive year.”

ChildAid, which opens tomorrow at the NUS University Cultural Centre, showcases the nation´s best musical talents aged below 19. In all, about 130 performers will be taking part in this year´s event.

They will perform before Guest-of-Honour President S R Nathan and Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, both of whom will be attending the concert´s Gala Night on Wednesday.

Acts to watch out for include pianist Azariah Tan, 16, who has overcome a hearing disability to become one of Singapore´s top young pianists, vocal powerhouse Aliya, 17, who will be flying in from Perth, where she is based, youth dancers from the Rose Borromeo Spanish Dance Company, who will perform two Spanish dances, the Singapore Lyric Opera´s Children´s Choir, and eight-year-old drummer boy Ethan Ong, who also performed last year.

This year´s concert also features a Family Segment and notable performers include 16-year-old Bertand Peh and his grandmother, Madam Mary Ho, 71, who will be playing on electric guitars, and talented siblings Jonathan and Angela Lim who will perform a piano duet.

Included in Wednesday´s Gala Night are social workers from all the family service centres in Singapore, who have once again been invited as special guests.

“This is a ChildAid tradition and our way of recognising these social workers for their outstanding service to the School Pocket Money Fund and the Budding Artists Fund,” said Mr Khoo.

He also thanked all corporate sponsors for their support. This year, six companies and two individual donors have pledged $50,000 each to become gold sponsors of the concert. (see below for list of sponsors)

Limited tickets for Tuesday’s and Wednesday´s performances, priced at $15, $20 and $30, are still available through SISTIC.

ChildAid Sponsors 2007:

GOLD sponsors ($50,000 and above)
Seagate Technology International $50,000
Cerebos Pacific Limited $50,000
Titan Petrochemicals Group Ltd $50,000
Citibank $50,000
Tat Hong Holdings Ltd $50,000
Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd $50,000
Anonymous $50,000
Mr Ong Tze Boon $50,000

BRONZE sponsors ($10,000 to $29,999)
Resorts World $10,000
UBS Wealth Management $10,000
OCBC Bank $10,000
Anonymous $10,000

Other sponsors
Sing Lun Holdings $5,000
Dr Janice Khoo $5,000

$450,000 (TOTAL)
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E

For more information, please contact:

Gerard Wong
Manager, Editorial Projects
English & Malay Newspapers Division
Singapore Press Holdings
Tel: 6319-5204
Mobile: 9780-8640
Email: gerard@sph.com.sg

Eric Ching
Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings
Tel: 6319 1280
Email: chingsm@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.9 million individuals or 81 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news publications. SPH also publishes over 90 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.

Internet and Mobile
Beyond print, the Internet editions of SPH newspapers enjoy over 110 million pageviews with 7 million unique visitors every month. Apart from SPH AsiaOne portal, SPH’s online and new media initiatives include a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode; online marketplace for products, services and employment, ST701; and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.

Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3 FM in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 FM in English.

Outdoor Advertising
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore´s largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a 35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.

Properties
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping belt. SPH’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.