Ben Cao GanG Mu - NUSS
Ben Cao GanG Mu - NUSS
Ben Cao GanG Mu - NUSS
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Sail for SMileS<br />
FUndRAIsIng<br />
dInneR 3 noveMber 200<br />
“Jiang Lei and Yee Onn, by sailing<br />
the distance, you send a powerful<br />
message that the Rainbow families<br />
too can brave the rough seas and<br />
turbulent weather in their lives and sail<br />
the distance in terms of overcoming<br />
their child’s illness. And they can do<br />
so, with smiles on their faces and not<br />
despondent dispositions.”<br />
President of Club Rainbow (Singapore),<br />
Mr Gregory Vijayendran<br />
What do sports and charity have in common? For<br />
fourth-year medical students Jiang Lei and Kok<br />
Yee Onn, their love of sports and passion towards<br />
charity was achieved in one unforgettable night of<br />
fundraising activity.<br />
Organised in support of their<br />
upcoming endeavour in the<br />
Clipper Round the World Yacht<br />
Race 09-10, the Sail for Smiles<br />
Fundraising Dinner saw about<br />
230 attendees gather at Kent<br />
Ridge Guild House.<br />
The event began with an<br />
electrifying live band performance<br />
that set the tone for the evening.<br />
Following which, the arrival of<br />
the Guest-of-Honour, Minister<br />
of Community Development,<br />
Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian<br />
Balakrishnan, pushed the<br />
ambience of the event up by<br />
another notch.<br />
Addressing the attendees, <strong>NUSS</strong><br />
President Mr Johnny Tan paid<br />
tribute to the courageous duo<br />
and their passion to do good for<br />
the less privileged. “We hope<br />
that their pursuit will motivate<br />
many others to step forward and<br />
contribute to the society,” he said.<br />
Truly, Jiang Lei and Yee Onn<br />
echoed Mr Tan’s vision. As Jiang<br />
Lei explained during the video<br />
presentation later, “The Clipper<br />
Race is a great platform for charity.<br />
Throughout our medical postings<br />
at Club Rainbow, we came to<br />
understand the importance of<br />
community support for children<br />
with chronic illnesses.”<br />
“Children<br />
have a lot of<br />
potential and<br />
Club Rainbow<br />
is one<br />
organisation<br />
that provides well-rounded<br />
support, socially, medically and<br />
educationally,” chipped in Yee<br />
Onn, showing his desire to build<br />
a brighter future for the children.<br />
The highlight of the fundraising<br />
dinner was the charity auction<br />
where items like Club Rainbow’s<br />
children’s paintings, Tian Po<br />
jewellery and a half-day cruise on<br />
board The Admiral were up for<br />
grabs. The flurry of raised hands<br />
demonstrated the crowd’s clear<br />
appreciation for the little artistes’<br />
works of love and their support of<br />
the activity.<br />
Mr Kwek Chok Ming, in his 50s,<br />
was one such bidder. Having<br />
been an <strong>NUSS</strong> member for<br />
30 years, he is no stranger to<br />
charity contributions, Mr Kwek<br />
went home with more than a<br />
full stomach. He had with him<br />
something extra to decorate his<br />
house – a painting by a 6-yearold<br />
child, titled “A Bug’s Life”.<br />
The father of four children said,<br />
“I’m glad to be able to contribute<br />
to a good cause while enjoying<br />
myself tonight. Youngsters<br />
should not only be focused on<br />
their academic achievements,<br />
but should also do their part for<br />
the less fortunate, like what the<br />
sailors have done.”<br />
A total of $12,720 was collected<br />
from the proceeds of the auction.<br />
These would benefit the children<br />
of Club Rainbow in a range of<br />
social support activities and<br />
serve as financial assistance for<br />
needy families.<br />
Club<br />
neWs<br />
3