CapitaLand donates over S$160,000 to 19 charities with stakeholders

CapitaLand Limited is engaging its stakeholders during this year-end festive period to bring hope to and share joy with more than 1,000 underprivileged children.

CapitaLand is targeting to donate at least S$160,000 to 19 local charity organisations through various charities’ activities online as well as at its properties.

The Group’s philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), is pledging S$25,000 for electronic greeting cards sent by members of the public through one of its key corporate giving programmes – the Send E-card & Donate (S.E.N.D) for Hope initiative.

CapitaLand Commercial Trust’s (CCT) annual ‘Gifts of Joy’ charity drive is making the Christmas wishes of over 600 children come true, with the help of its tenants and staff. The Group’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, and its employees are providing underprivileged children with educational resources to help them in their academic development.

ION Orchard is partnering NETS to enable its shoppers to make cashless donations to charity easily. Shoppers can also give back by bidding for the 12 designer Christmas trees at ION Orchard to raise funds for charity.

Mr Tan Seng Chai, Group Chief Corporate Officer of CapitaLand Limited and Executive Director, CapitaLand Hope Foundation, said: “‘Tis the season for giving and I am truly excited that we are working hand in hand with our tenants, shoppers and employees to give back to our community. CapitaLand hopes that by encouraging and engaging our stakeholders to participate in such initiatives, we not only generate donations but also build more awareness about the needs of the underprivileged.”

CHF encourages public to send e-cards with S$25,000 pledge for charity

This year, CHF has chosen the Community Chest-supported Rainbow Centre – Yishun Park School (RCYPS) to benefit from its S.E.N.D for Hope programme. This eco-friendly initiative encourages the community to do good and save the environment while spreading the festive cheer through the sending of electronic greeting cards. CHF will donate S$2 to help RCYPS for every Christmas e-card sent to a unique recipient. Organised in conjunction with the Community Chest SG50 Light-Up for Christmas, S.E.N.D for Hope introduces a platform for the community to join in and do their part for charity.

The funds pledged to RCYPS will be used to provide special education and rehabilitative services for disadvantaged students with multiple disabilities, to enable them with skills and knowledge for a better future.

Mr Tan Seng Chai said: “We are pleased to be pledging S$25,000 to help the children at Rainbow Centre – Yishun Park School this year. S.E.N.D For Hope is the perfect mix of both CapitaLand’s corporate philanthropy and our green commitment. Senders are able to do their part in giving back to the community while conserving the environment by sending paperless electronic greeting cards. On top of the direct financial aid, we also hope to generate public awareness and encourage the community to join in our efforts for the underprivileged children.”

Ms Ng Ling Ling, Managing Director of Community Chest, said: “The ‘S.E.N.D for Hope’ campaign by CapitaLand Hope Foundation is a great way to encourage the community to care for the less fortunate during the season of giving. Through the sending of e-cards to spread festive cheer to families and friends, the public can also do good and help children with special needs under Community Chest-supported charity, Rainbow Centre – Yishun Park School.”

As part of this year’s Christmas campaign, CapitaLand hopes to further propagate the sharing spirit by rewarding senders with the chance to win up to 8 million CAPITASTAR STAR$®, which can be used to redeem CapitaVouchers for shopping in 18 CapitaLand malls.

Members of the public can visit the CapitaLand website from 14 November 2015 to 3 January 2016, to send their year-end greeting cards to share the festive joy and light up the lives of the children beneficiaries. They will also be reminded of the children they will be helping every time they send the e-card, as it will feature a special design by one of the Rainbow Centre beneficiaries.

Since the S.E.N.D For Hope programme began in 2009, it has received unwavering support from the public. More than 160,000 greeting cards have been sent, generating over S$300,000 worth of pledges for more than 12 children’s charities.

CCT teams up with tenants to grant Christmas wishes of over 600 underprivileged children

Encouraged by the positive response received in the past two years, CapitaLand Commercial Trust Management Limited (CCTML), the manager of CCT, will once again partner its tenants at selected office properties for its annual ‘Gifts of Joy’ initiative with an expanded list of over 600 beneficiaries from 18 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO) this year.

‘Gifts of Joy’ is one of CCT’s key tenant engagement initiatives whereby its office tenants and CapitaLand employees join hands to spread festive cheer by delivering gifts to underprivileged children. This year, the initiative will touch beneficiaries under the Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift (BBSG) 2015,Dyslexia Association of Singapore, HELP Family Service Centre, SPD (Society for the Physically Disabled) and The Salvation Army (Gracehaven).

Ms Lynette Leong, CEO of CCTML, said: “We are heartened by the strong support from our tenants and CapitaLand colleagues for our ‘Gifts of Joy’ initiative these past two years. This year, we are working with 18 VWOs to fulfill over 600 Christmas wishes from their children beneficiaries. Beyond contributing gifts, we encourage our tenants and employees to join us in giving their time to wrap and deliver the gifts, and demonstrating compassion for the underprivileged. Seeing the children’s faces light up with smiles when we knock on their doors and present them with the gifts is truly priceless.”

Mr Lui Chong Chee, Chairman of BBSG 2015, said: “It is indeed wonderful to have CapitaLand on board as a partner of BBSG. This national community project is unique because donors are encouraged to go beyond financial giving. Instead, CapitaLand tenants and staff will be challenged to actively participate by personally picking out the gifts to fulfill the wishes of more than 300 beneficiaries. With CapitaLand’s support, I am confident that together we will make a difference and bring festive cheer to the less privileged in our society.”

From 30 November to 15 December 2015, gift collection areas will be set up at the main lobbies of six CCT properties – Capital Tower, CapitaGreen, Six Battery Road, One George Street, Twenty Anson and Raffles City Tower. Tenants from these properties can select wishes to grant from the list provided by the beneficiaries, and deposit these gifts into the collection chests or around the Christmas trees during the collection period.

From 16 to 18 December 2015, an estimated 90 volunteers comprising CCT tenants’ staff and CapitaLand employees will gather to wrap and deliver the presents in person to these more than 600 underprivileged children. The gift items typically range from brand new toys and games and sports items to school supplies such as stationery, books, clothes and schoolbags.

Beneficiary Javier Pek, 12, wishes for toys that call for assembly so that he can see his drawings of iconic Singapore landmarks such as Raffles City come to life. He said: “I like to draw the beautiful, tall buildings in Singapore. I also like playing with Lego toys. I want to create a city with them.”

Ms Karin Goh, Senior Manager, Marketing and Client Servicing at Amundi Asset Management at Capital Tower, shared: “Volunteering at ‘Gifts of Joy’ last year reminded me of the true spirit of giving. It is not about the biggest or most prettily-wrapped present. It is about the time and effort we take to wrap the presents and visit these underprivileged children at their homes, which makes them realise that they are not forgotten during the festive season. I am thankful to CapitaLand for making it convenient for busy working professionals like us to give back to the community. I will definitely be volunteering again this year.”

Ascott and its employees support educational needs of underprivileged children

This Christmas, Ascott and its employees are donating more than S$10,000 to Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home. Ascott has pledged S$10,000 through the Ascott Educational Fund to provide educational materials and pay for tuition to help in the academic development of underprivileged children from the home. In addition, Ascott is organising an art session for the children to inspire their creativity and develop new skills. Ascott employees will be bidding for the art pieces hand painted by the children beneficiaries, with proceeds going to the home.

Mr Tony Soh, Chief Corporate Officer of The Ascott Limited, said: “The Ascott Educational Fund aims to support the academic needs of underprivileged children by equipping them with educational tools and resources, such as tuition and stationery, which are not readily available to them. It thus gives the disadvantaged children an equal chance to fulfill their potential and receive the education they deserve. Through this fund, Ascott hopes to make a difference by touching the lives of beneficiaries during the earlier stages of their development to create a positive effect that can be carried over to their adult lives as well as the lives of their families, and the communities they live in.”

ION Orchard partners key brands to raise funds for RCYPS

ION Orchard has launched a series of fund raising initiatives to give back to the community, with proceeds going to RCYPS.

In a unique collaboration, the mall is partnering 12 brands to design 12 special Christmas trees for bidding. These 3-metre-tall specially designed Christmas trees offer the brands’ interpretations of Christmas. The brands are Alice + Olivia, Braun Büffel, Buben & Zorweg, Cortina Watch, Crate & Barrel, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ermenegildo Zegna, Parfum Christian Dior, Kurt Geiger, Kwanpen, Moncler and TWG Tea.

The trees are central to the mall’s fund-raising activities for Christmas, inspiring ION Orchard VIP members and loyal shoppers to open up their hearts and put in bids to adopt the tree or trees of their choice by using the iPad next to each tree. Bids start at S$8,000, with the highest bidder getting adoption and naming rights for each tree of his/her choice plus a token of appreciation from the respective brand and ION Orchard.

In a partnership with NETS, shoppers can also make outright cashless donations of S$10 or more at several donation points near concierge counters at Basement 3 and Levels 1 and 4.

In addition to raising funds for the underprivileged this season, ION Orchard’s collaboration with Community Chest creates a platform for special needs students from RCYPS to showcase their creativity and imagination by designing the mall’s Christmas wrappers. The beneficiaries will also be helping out with gift wrapping at the mall’s L1 concierge on 13 November from 9.30 am to 12.00 pm and on 14 November from 6.00 to 8.30 pm, lending a personalised touch to the mall’s gift wrapping service for its shoppers.