Art contest raises $30k for charity

Winning entries are printed on tissue boxes and 20 cents are donated for each pack sold

Ms Tan of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund receiving the cheque yesterday from Tipex's Mr Sim at Tipex's office. Also present was Keming Primary's Rachel Chng, showing her winning entry.
Ms Tan of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund receiving the cheque yesterday from Tipex's Mr Sim at Tipex's office. Also present was Keming Primary's Rachel Chng, showing her winning entry. ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO

Other children may have their sketches lovingly displayed at home on fridges and walls, but Keming Primary School pupil Rachel Chng, nine, has her art printed onto tissue boxes by Beautex.

She won the first prize in the lower primary category for the tissue brand's annual drawing competition - Life's Beautiful - held at Singapore Science Centre last June.

The top three works of art in each category, lower and upper primary, were reproduced on limited-edition tissue boxes.

The boxes were sold from June to November last year and 20 cents were donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund

for every pack of five boxes sold.

Yesterday, Mr Richard Sim, vice-president of Tipex, presented a cheque for $30,096 to Ms Tan Bee Heong, general manager of the fund. Beautex is marketed and distributed by Tipex.

Mr Sim said: "Every child deserves an opportunity to excel in his life. We hope to nurture his future in a positive and meaningful way."

Tipex has been supporting the fund, which donates money to children and youth from low-income families, since 2009.

It raised more than $28,000 through the 2015 competition.

More than 60 pupils took part in last year's edition and the winners received colouring pens, cash and a trophy. The theme was "Think Green! Go Green!" to raise awareness about the importance of the environment.

Rachel took two hours to draw a picture of people recycling and taking care of the environment.

Her mother, Madam Leow Juan Juan, 39, a chemist, said: "We were so proud of her that we bought more than 10 packs of the limited-edition tissue boxes and kept three boxes unopened."

This is not the first time a member of this family has won in this contest. Madam Leow's other daughter, now 11 years old, won the first prize in the same category in 2015.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 25, 2017, with the headline Art contest raises $30k for charity. Subscribe