Gleneagles Hospital has raised $30,675 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF).
The money will help 42 primary school pupils pay for essential needs and ease some of their financial constraints, the hospital said in a statement yesterday.
The funds were obtained as part of the hospital's annual Christmas charity drive. It is the second year in a row that Gleneagles is raising money for STSPMF.
Gleneagles chief executive Hui Hwa Koh-Minjoot said it is even more critical to continue support for needy children and help them buy food during recess, given the economic challenges Singapore is facing this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
She added: "We believe that helping them access education and a healthy diet will enable them to grow up well and healthy."
The hospital commissioned a fairy tale-themed augmented reality book, called Healthy Ever After, to encourage people to donate more generously.
Those who gave more than $60 received priority copies of the book as a gift.
Gleneagles donated 60 copies of the book to the National Library Board and distributed copies to its current paediatric patients.
The book, which touches on common ailments to help children overcome their fear of visiting doctors and hospitals, can also be downloaded for free on the hospital's website.
STSPMF general manager Tan Bee Heong said the fund is very grateful to have Gleneagles as a fund-raising partner again this year.
She added that she hopes other STSPMF partners will follow in the hospital's footsteps and help support children in need, especially during times of economic hardship.
Luqmanul Hakim
