SINGAPORE: President’s Star Charity, Mediacorp’s fundraiser, raised S$11,737,571 in this year’s event. Broadcast on Sunday night, Oct 22, the programme featured performances from acclaimed recording artist Anggun, Singapore Idol’s Taufik Batisah and tenor Jonathan Charles Tay, as well as a very special number from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Ms Jane Ittogi.
The theme of this year’s fundraiser is “Respect for All”. Under the President’s Challenge, the programme supports a wide range of beneficiaries and is aimed at rallying members of the public to raise funds for the country’s vulnerable groups. Generous viewers who saw the live show over mewatch, Channel 5, and Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube opened their hearts to support these groups.
“I was touched by the generosity of our audiences who contributed to this year’s President’s Star Charity. I would like to thank everyone for contributing and hope that the public will continue to support this worthy cause,” said the CEO of Mediacorp, Ms Tham Loke Kheng.
Ms Diana Ser and actor and comedian Rishi Budhrani emceed the show. Anggun serenaded the audience with her original songs, Snow on the Sahara and A Love Before Time, while Jonathan Charles Tay and Taufik Batisah moved viewers with their rendition of Elton John’s classic tune Your Song.
President Tharman, the night’s guest of honour, performed heartfelt reading of the poem Never Let Go, with Ms Ittogi and the poet, Ms Stephanie Fam.
“The show is not just a collection of performances. They are stories that reflect our deepest values, and build on each other. This year’s President’s Star Charity reminds us that respect for the dignity of every individual is the key to building a fairer, better and more inclusive society,” the President wrote in a social media post on Sunday (Oct 22), sharing a clip of a rehearsal for the live show.
Ms Zoe Tay also performed on the steel tongue drums, along with a violinist and pianist from Orkestra Melayu Singapura, and dancers from Diverse Abilities Dance Collective. Denise Camillia Tan, Dhivya Raveen, Endang Rahayu, danced to BLACKPINK’s smash debut hit Boombayah, with choreography by K-Pop’s Ronnie Chen. “The electrifying dance performance… brought a great burst of energy to the event.”
There are a total of 86 beneficiaries from PSC’s event, including Club HEAL (Hope, Empowerment, Acceptance & Love), a charity that supports the societal reintegration of individuals with mental health issues; ART:DIS, which is dedicated to offering opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in the arts; and TOUCH Community Services, a multi-service organisation spanning a spectrum of communal causes. More information on the President’s Challenge can be found at presidentschallenge.gov.sg.
However, until Nov 5, people can still give toward this worthy cause through a QR code on mediacorp.sg/psc and this donation link. The show may still be watched on mewatch or via Channel 5 on Sunday, Oct 29, at 4:30 pm. /TISG
President Tharman, wife Jane Ittogi, to perform at President’s Star Charity