60 Lights, One Future initiative aims to brighten lives of children, youth by raising S$360,000
Among those participating are digital-first community ARC – whose co-founders are JJ Lin, Elroy Cheo and Kiat Lim – Allen & Gledhill and Centurion Asset Management
[SINGAPORE] Families, individuals, corporates as well as small and medium-sized enterprises across the country have rallied together for a common cause – to collectively raise at least S$360,000 for beneficiaries from Singapore Red Cross’ Young Hearts programme.
The donors range from large corporates such as City Developments Ltd to ARC, a digital-first community which is token-gated by non-fungible tokens as proof of membership.
In total, 60 participants are involved in 60 Lights, One Future, which is organised by non-profit organisation Peace of Art. Each participant aims to raise S$6,000 through their own means by January, which would amount to a total of S$360,000.
Co-founder of ARC Elroy Cheo said: “With the crypto space having a tendency to focus on profit-seeking, we need to take the initiative (to give back).”
He added that fellow founder, music industry professional and entrepreneur JJ Lin, “wanted to use the power of the collective to do good... for others too”.
“If our members can (embark) on profit-seeking ventures together, why shouldn’t they be giving back too? We believe that an aligned community (has a value proposition).”
Providing consistent support
All of the funds raised will be donated to the Young Hearts programme, which provides academic support, enrichment activities and mentorship to underprivileged children and youth living in public rental housing. The amount collected through the 60 Lights, One Future initiative is specifically for those living in Yishun and Tampines.
Peace of Art has been supporting these beneficiaries for more than five years. Its founder Eunice Yeo noted that she has seen some of them excel in their school lives, for example by getting into a polytechnic or becoming captain of their school’s sports team.
“It is very clear to me that the consistent support that we give actually changes lives,” she said.
The initiative was launched on Nov 13 at City Square Mall. Several participants also held a panel session to discuss the future of giving in Singapore.
Yeo added that the participants came up with innovative and creative ways to raise funds, with each one reaching out to their own network.
“The democratisation of philanthropy is about the fact that the littlest can be a giver and changemaker. All of us can give. But decentralised giving is about the power and agency that we are empowering people with – for them to come up with their own ideas and ways of giving and promoting,” she said.
Jerry Koh, managing partner of law firm Allen & Gledhill, pointed out that an event such as 60 Lights “helps create awareness of the fact that there are children and families in need, and I believe that those who are more fortunate should give back by helping these people”.
“Helping the disadvantaged requires not only monetary donations; it should also be accompanied by the giving of our time and energy in areas such as mentorship and guidance. Further, we can help open doors and provide the disadvantaged with greater access to opportunities,” he added.
On why it is important for businesses to take an active role in social issues, Koh said: “Doing good is not only good for business, (but also)... the right thing to do. It is important that we take a long-term view and be pure in our intentions while doing good.”
Ginny Ang, chief investment officer of Centurion Asset Management, concurred and said that she sees people adopting a more deliberate effort in fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities.
Such activities create shared values among different stakeholders, she noted, adding that Centurion has been steeped in the giving-back scene since its early days, “housing the people who built our country”.
Previously, Peace of Art organised Wings of Art and the Sustainable Christmas Market, with the 2024 edition raising more than S$350,000.
The non-profit has collected more than S$1 million for the Young Hearts programme since 2021.
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