SINGAPORE - It is a light show with a cause, with the month-long display at the Marina Bay Promontory launched on Wednesday night (Dec 1) to raise funds as it shines the spotlight on local ground-up initiatives.
Shine A Light, which features 60 moving beams of light mounted on the floor of The Promontory, will take place nightly till Dec 31.
The event is into its second year but has a new focus this year, with philanthropic organisation The Majurity Trust leading a campaign to raise $1.2 million by the end of the month. The money will go towards providing grants to five funds that target different beneficiaries.
The Silver is Gold fund, for instance, aims to help the elderly in Singapore, especially those living with dementia. Migrant workers and youth mental health are among the focuses of other funds.
Donors can make a donation of any amount, or "adopt" a light beam for $20,000.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who launched the campaign at an event on Wednesday night, said: "Light beams will once again illuminate the Marina Bay skyline, this time to rally support for vulnerable groups, including those who have been hard hit by Covid-19, and to pay tribute to the unsung heroes in our community who are working tirelessly to meet the needs and brighten the lives of those around them."
He added that the discovery of a new troubling Covid-19 variant has added to the uncertainties that Singaporeans face. Singapore had this week tightened border rules, stopped expanding its Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme for now and paused the relaxation of social measures amid reports of the new Omicron variant.
Mr Lee said: "To keep up with all these changes, we really need to harness our diversity as a source of strength, drawing on the different skills and perspectives of all Singaporeans across the people, private and public sectors."
The beams will light up in a different colour each week from Wednesday to Dec 28 to highlight a different cause, and then feature magenta lights from Dec 29 to 31, which the organisers said represent Singapore's harmony.
In addition to the light display, the campaign will have a weekly roll-out of various activities and online content like podcasts and videos featuring leaders of ground-up initiatives to spark conversations in the community and create awareness on pressing social issues.
Chief executive of The Majurity Trust Martin Tan said: "This Christmas and festive season, while most of us celebrate with our families and loved ones, there are people living among us who feel isolated, like our migrant workers here who are alone and away from family. As a society, we hope to rally support for them and many among us who are struggling."
An initiative that befriends children from rental flats at Kebun Baru, 6th Sense, is one of many ground-up initiatives that will benefit from the funds raised by the campaign.
Its co-founder Abhishek Bajaj said: "The Majurity Trust creates a community for changemakers, which creates even more possibilities for us to work together across social issues, share resources and ideas, affirm and grow together."
The Shine A Light display is presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as one of the highlights of the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2022, alongside light projection show Share The Moment, which will transform the facades of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, the ArtScience Museum and the Merlion.
