A sports fiesta, a half-day museum tour and a free movie screening are among 100 events that 5,000 young people here are planning to mark Singapore's 50th birthday.

The volunteers from the People's Association Youth Movement (PAYM) will carry out the projects over the next two months for the SG50 PAYM Loves Red campaign. They range from an outdoor screening of local movie Ah Boys To Men to distributing food rations to needy families.

The campaign is aimed at more than 40,000 youth and residents.

Mr S. Iswaran, adviser to West Coast grassroots organisations, was the guest of honour at yesterday's launch at the National University of Singapore (NUS) University Town. "This year's campaign is focused on encouraging youth to embrace and express the values that they hold to be important, in order to share it with the larger community," said Mr Iswaran, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

Earlier this year, youth were asked to vote on values and visions that they think will make a better Singapore. The 10 chosen include resilience, sense of belonging and compassion.

The NUS Students' Union organised the campaign's launch together with the West Coast and Pioneer youth executive committees.

NUS student Lim Yu Xian, 21, who helped in the event, said: "I wanted to do something meaningful before graduating."