News | November 30, 2017
Marina Bay Sands (MBS) held its fifth annual Sands for Singapore Charity Festival from September 8-10. An initiative through Sands Cares, the corporate giving project of Las Vegas Sands, the festival raised S$3.9 million (USD $2.8 million) for local community charities and welcomed over 20,000 visitors to its various events. Funds raised through the festival will benefit over 80 local charities supporting a range of causes. This property-wide effort was made possible with the support of Team Members who contributed their time and resources to make it a success. Through Sands Cares, Las Vegas Sands and its properties give back to the communities in which they operate and are proud to be good corporate citizens.
Since 2013, Sands for Singapore has raised more than S$20 million (USD $14.7 million). There were over 8,000 participants at Community Chest Heartstrings Walk and 2,403 MBS Team Members volunteered 6,033 hours. Some other activities held at the festival include:
A Melodious Night!
This year’s Sands for Singapore Charity Festival opened with a fundraising concert by The Sichuan Orchestra of China, helmed by Grammy-nominated Singaporean music conductor Darrell Ang. Proceeds from the concert’s ticket sales went towards Art Outreach’s IMPART Awards scholarship fund to support the development of aspiring young curators and visual artists in Singapore.
Fun Walk for a Good Cause
MBS was also a co-organizer of the Community Chest Heartstrings Walk and Race to the Sky Vertical Marathon. This year’s event drew over 8,000 participants in the 4-km Fun Walk that began with a flag off by outgoing Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin. In an effort to promote inclusivity, the Community Chest Heartstrings Walk featured a Family Carnival where nearly 60 beneficiaries, including people with disabilities, seniors, and at-risk youth, participated as volunteers and game masters to guide the public in the various activities. They were also joined by 35 Team Members and other corporate volunteers who assisted as directional ushers and water distributors during the walk. The event raised more than S$1.77 million (USD $1.3 million) for beneficiaries of Community Chest.
Playing It Forward
Over 30 adult teams and 21 junior teams spent a morning participating in the signature Play It Forward Charity Challenge. From the Sands SkyPark down to the ArtScience Museum, Play It Forward took players around the integrated resort, completing intellectual and creative challenges to represent and win cash prizes for local charities. This year also saw a brand-new Play It Forward junior charity challenge designed for children 7 to 12 years old as a way to start giving back at a young age. The third edition of Play It Forward resulted in the property donating S$120,000 (USD $88,624) worth of cash prizes to local charities.
First-Ever Sundown Picnic
The inaugural Sundown Picnic saw the Event Plaza transformed into a picnic setting complete with live music and food provided by the MBSdining establishments and celebrity-chef restaurants. All proceeds collected from food and beverage sales during the three-day event were donated to Community Chest, a fundraising platform that donates funds to over 80 social service organizations in Singapore.
Las Vegas Sands Global Hygiene Kit Build with Clean the World
Nearly 600 Team Members worked in unison to pack 20,000 hygiene kits for Children International beneficiaries in the Philippines. Volunteers were broken up into 39 teams, who raced to be the fastest to pack 500 hygiene kits. The winning team from Banquets was victorious with a time of 10 minutes and 27 seconds.
Grocery Giveback with CPAS
With S$8,000 (USD $5,906) worth of cash vouchers contributed by Team Members through the Service Anniversary initiative, 63 Team Member volunteers joined six student beneficiaries from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) to purchase groceries for financially vulnerable families. The groceries were personally delivered to each of the 61 households located across Singapore.