SINGAPORE - A month-long carnival featuring attractions such as circus acts and a food festival kicked off in Marina Bay on Thursday, a venue for people to both have a day of fun and do good at the same time.
The Great Bay Fiesta at the Bayfront Event Space is the main giving hub of this year’s SG Cares Giving Week 2022, one of 22 set up across the country in partnership with more than 270 companies and non-profit organisations.
Visitors can enjoy classic carnival rides and games such as pirate ship and bumper car, and taste dishes from around the world at food booths.
Carnival operator Uncle Ringo, a strategic partner of the SG Cares Giving Week initiative, will be donating $5 to social service agency Community Chest for every $100 worth of carnival credits purchased.
Over 1,500 people, including children from vulnerable families, enjoyed an afternoon of free rides and food at the launch of the carnival on Thursday.
The SG Cares Giving Week, organised by the National Council of Social Service, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) and the SG Cares Office, goes fully physical in its third year, after starting as a virtual campaign in 2020 and a hybrid one in 2021.
Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong, the guest of honour at the event launch, said: “SG Cares Giving Week is a special time that brings us together to do good.
“The contributions of Singaporeans, corporate partners like Uncle Ringo, and our volunteer centres help ensure no one is left behind, and show how the collective efforts of different stakeholders in society can strengthen Singapore’s social compact.”
Apart from the carnival, the public can also visit the other 21 giving hubs and take part in activities such as blood donation drives and a charity bazaar over the course of the campaign from Dec 1 to 7.
Mr Lee Woon Chiang, managing director of Uncle Ringo, said the collaboration with SG Cares Giving Week is the company’s way of giving back to the community.
He added: “Our carnivals are not just for children but an avenue for family bonding. The idea of bringing happiness to families is the very core of our business and we wanted to share the experience and opportunity with as many families as possible this season.”
Over 25 community partners, including volunteer organisations Heartware Network and Singapore International Foundation, will also be raising funds for charity and recruiting volunteers at their booths set up at the carnival.
Meanwhile, the inaugural roadshow of the Forward Singapore exercise was also launched at the carnival on Thursday, and aims to raise awareness and engage the public about building strong bonds and a sense of belonging to Singapore, which falls under Unite, one of the six pillars of the exercise.
The roadshow will run for two weeks at the carnival, and features interactive booths such as a vending machine that dispenses free drinks when two people are there and discuss and answer two questions related to what it means to be Singaporean.
Following this, more roadshows will be set up across the country in the coming months.
Those who wish to volunteer or donate can also find out more at Giving.sg and the SG Cares app.
