Christmas came early for Danial Arfan, 17, and his six younger siblings, thanks to a festive collaboration between Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and The Boys' Brigade.
All they wanted was a bag each for the new school year and that wish came true at a party yesterday.
The siblings were among the 140 people - beneficiaries and caregivers - who attended the Share-a-Gift initiative at the SPH News Centre auditorium, the 14th year the event has been held.
More than 130 SPH staff contributed gifts with an estimated value of $20,000, granting about 300 wishes of people from 11 charities.
They included Care Corner Family Service Centre (Toa Payoh), Marymount Centre - Good Shepherd Place and Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprise (Score). This was the first time SPH has partnered Score.
Danial, a first-year Higher Nitec hospitality operations student at ITE College West, said: "We only have simple wishes. We asked for essentials such as school supplies."
Ms Chin Soo Fang, SPH's head of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility, said: "We have been adopting and fulfilling about 300 wishes worth about $20,000 every year... So we want to say a big 'thank you' to Boys' Brigade and the charities for giving us this cherished opportunity to put a smile on their faces."
The Share-a-Gift project is organised by The Boys' Brigade with support from the National Council of Social Service and Ministry of Social and Family Development.