Marina Bay Sands’ charity festival returns in full force with booths, art, performances

OVER the weekend, the outdoor space at Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) Event Plaza came alive with live performances, merchandise booths, food trucks and even a light and water show.

In the lead-up to National Day, MBS held its annual Sands for Singapore Charity Festival, which has been MBS’ signature charity event since its inception in 2013, from Aug 4 to 6.

The integrated resort raised more than S$3.8 million from this year’s edition, with all proceeds going towards supporting the causes of MBS’ partner organisations. This brings the total amount raised from the festival to over S$35 million to date.

The theme for this year’s edition was “Where Hearts Come Together”. The charity festival is part of the integrated resort’s community engagement programme Sands Cares.

Paul Town, chief operating officer of MBS, said: “Sands for Singapore Charity Festival stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to our community. We continuously endeavour to engage our team members and the general public in doing good for the community.”

Giving Marketplace

Around 16 non-profit organisations and social enterprises set up booths at the festival’s Giving Marketplace, which sold a variety of merchandise from baked goods to crocheted accessories to handcrafted bookmarks. Each purchase directly supports these organisations.

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One such participant was social service agency APSN. It provides training to individuals with mild intellectual disabilities, preparing them for future employment and integration into the community.

Philip Li, principal centre lead of vocational training at APSN Centre for Adults, said: “With the proper training and unwavering support, our beneficiaries have shown incredible potential to excel and make valuable contributions to society.”

All the goods sold at APSN’s booth were made by trainees, with the assistance of instructors. 

On participating in the festival, Li added: “More awareness of the abilities of our trainees can be raised and may even lead to potential employment opportunities or other collaborations.”

Sim Lee See, an instructor at the centre, said: “Through this festival, trainees learn the value of hard work and develop the appropriate work skills and attitude during the process of preparing various items for sale.”

Jessica Ong, 24, a trainee at APSN Centre for Adults, has learned many art skills, such as crocheting and painting. She designed the art pebbles for sale, which took one to three hours to complete depending on the design, she noted.

“I feel proud of myself when people like and buy the crafts I made… Making arts and crafts helps me to improve my hand skills and focus,” said Ong.

Heartwork and other festivities

This year’s festival marked the first time the Heartwork: A Community Weaving Studio initiative took place, in which upcycled fabrics and linens sourced from MBS were weaved and turned into colourful tapestries. These were put up for sale to raise funds for artists supported by MBS’ partner organisation Art Outreach Singapore.

The weaving studio was also open to members of the public, who could try their hand at adding to the tapestries using a traditional loom.

Mae Anderson, chairman of Art Outreach Singapore, said: “(Participants) not only contribute to sustainability but also work together to create a community tapestry.”

Three food trucks were also set up at the event space – Yardbird and Black Tap, both of which have restaurants at MBS, as well as Rise, the hotel’s buffet restaurant.

The food establishments served exclusive, locally inspired items for the festival’s menu. All proceeds from their sales were donated to Community Chest, the philanthropy and engagement arm of the National Council of Social Service.

Adding to the lively atmosphere were performances by Singaporean artists every night, including Sezairi, Iman Fandi and Glenn Yong.

Amendment note: The paragraph has been edited to clarify what Community Chest’s role in the community.