President Halimah Yacob made a symbolic first donation by scanning a QR code using a bank app yesterday at the Boys' Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG) charity drive.
With her at the opening ceremony at BB Campus in Ganges Avenue are Prudential Singapore's chief executive Dennis Tan and FairPrice Group's CEO Seah Kian Peng.
Madam Halimah, who was the guest of honour at the event, noted how local charities and non-profit organisations have adapted their programmes and fund-raising efforts amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, BBSG - a national community service project organised annually by The Boys' Brigade, with support from the National Council of Social Service and the Ministry of Social and Family Development - will not be accepting food items or organising gift collection points.
It is appealing for cash donations via online platforms instead. BBSG 2020 will also be distributing FairPrice vouchers to its beneficiaries.
The public can still order food hampers, via FairPrice Online, which will be delivered to 24,318 beneficiaries from social service agencies.
The public can also donate online via BB PayNow (found displayed in 145 FairPrice stores across the island) and Giving.sg.
They can also use AXS stations to donate from Dec 1.
Correction note: An earlier version of the story said President Halimah Yacob donated $40 at the launch of the Boys' Brigade Share-A-Gift (BBSG) 2020 yesterday. The Boys' Brigade has clarified that the donation made during the ceremony was a symbolic donation to the first beneficiary to launch the BBSG programme, and was set at $40 to match the value of the FairPrice vouchers that each beneficiary will receive. It was not the actual donation made by Madam Halimah. She had in fact earlier pledged to donate to 200 beneficiaries when she agreed to grace the opening ceremony.
