Madam Ng Shok Yan, Principal of Seng Kang Secondary School

Dr Stephanie Chee, Healthcare Management Consultant of Geylang and Toa Payoh Senior Citizens’ Health Care Centres

Volunteers, Fund Raisers

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls

It is my pleasure to join you all this morning as we support this charity drive to raise funds for the care of elderly patients at Geylang and Toa Payoh Senior Citizens’ Health Care Centres.

2          The money raised will go to the Senior Citizens’ Hardship Fund managed by the two Centres. It will help stroke patients and the elderly at these Centres. It will also assist in the prevention and early detection of diseases, and will provide caregivers training among others.

3                                We need many helping hands in our community to jointly support the less fortunate amongst us. Apart from the students of Sengkang Secondary School who will be performing later, I am told that students from several other schools have been busy on the streets raising donations for the two Centres. It is heartening to see our young people being involved in volunteer work for it will give them purpose in their lives.

4                                Let me acknowledge those of you who will be running for a cause this morning as well as the participants of the charity entrepreneurship seminar whom I will be addressing in a short while at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I also commend the volunteers for their dedication in helping out at these Centres. Let us also salute wheelchair marathoner Dr William Tan who, together with his fellow cyclists, will ride around Singapore in an effort aptly called “Ride for Hope”.

5                                “Hope” is indeed what all of you are giving to the elderly at these two Senior Citizens’ Centres by harnessing your collective energies and channeling them to this charity drive.

6                To go further, we will need even more hands like yours to enhance the quality of services and programmes for the needy in our community. I wish you a successful fundraising day.

Thank you.