SINGAPORE - This year's GetActive! Singapore saw more than 800,000 people take part over 11 days in the lead-up to National Day, up from 680,000 last year.
The third edition of the annual affair, first held in 2016, featured more than 300 activities and 12 sports festivals, with activities ranging from conventional sports to competitive pillow fights and roller-blading lessons.
As part of the finale for GetActive! Singapore, some 3,000 pre-schoolers turned out for a sports day at the National Stadium on Tuesday (Aug 7), where they tackled simple obstacle courses and tried out kid-sized yoga, among other activities.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu was the guest of honour and joined the children for the GetActive! Singapore group workout, which is choreographed to this year's National Day theme song - an updated version of the classic 1987 song We Are Singapore.
"We want our children to have a strong foundation so they can reach out for the world and be the best they can be. And for them to do that, we need them to grow up physically and mentally strong. Sports and exercising are great ways to do that," she said.
Singaporeans have been getting more active when it comes to helping their neighbours too, under the Active Enabler Programme, which this year saw close to 90 per cent of its community activities feature a charity component.
During one such event, more than 6,500 participants ran 700m laps around the perimeter of the Chinese Garden, with each lap contributing a household product furnished by corporate partners for underprivileged families in the area.
It was organised by the Taman Jurong Zone B Residents' Committee Youth Chapter.
Said its chairman Caleb Lee, 24: "We went door-to-door to reach out to residents, and what was really surprising was that some of them asked us if they could volunteer as well and support the event in their own way."
The biennial Singapore National Games (SNG) also saw more than 15,000 sign-ups this year across 23 sports, including nine para-sports, with $250,000 in prize money on offer.
The festival line-up this year included the inaugural YouthX - an umbrella event for three youth festivals - and the Inclusive Sports Festival, which offered members of the public the opportunity to step into the shoes of a para-athlete through sports tryouts.
"Every year, we aim to organise GetActive! Singapore to galvanise the Singapore spirit as we celebrate National Day," said Sport Singapore chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin.
"The turnout at the various events was heartening and reflected the pride and energy of people from all walks of life coming together as a community."
