COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Twenty children from Singapore Children’s Society Sunbeam Place and 10 staff volunteers from Singapore Turf Club and Tote Board celebrated Tote Board‘s 30th Anniversay at “A Good Day Out” Carnival at the Meadow, Gardens By The Bay on 10 February 2018. Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was the Guest-Of-Honour for the launch of the carnival.  The carnival  was a gathering of beneficiaries from government agencies, non-profit organisations, social service organisations and social enterprises, to share the various grantmaking projects that have made an impact to the community.  The children and volunteers had an enjoyable morning despite the hot and humid weather and Miss Universe Singapore winner Manuela Bruntraeger also made an appearance to bond with the children. ​

​Twenty children from Singapore Children’s Society Sunbeam Place and 13 staff volunteers from Singapore Turf Club and Tote Board bonded over an adrenalin-charged game of Laser Quest at HomeTeamNS Laser Quest (Bukit Batok), in celebration of Children’s Day on 5 October. Laser Quest is an interactive team-bonding game, where players score points by tagging “targets” in a mission. Participants were segregated into four teams and took part in 6 sets of strategic missions, which allowed for both volunteers and beneficiaries alike to bond through interactive play.

The key of this engagement is to leverage play as a platform to impart good values such as teamwork, communication and critical problem-solving skills. Each game lasted 15mins and teams competed against each other for maximum fun. The pulsating afternoon of fun ended with a sumptuous dinner with volunteers putting the time to good use, by serving dinner and engaging the children through conversations.​

On 7 September (Thursday), Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) finalists spent a fruitful afternoon with STC volunteers to paint a wall mural in support of STC’s adopted charity – Sunbeam Place.The mural wall painting was completed in under four hours, and was done with the aim of enlivening the living spaces at the Centre. Although it was the first time for many of the MUS finalists and STC volunteers (alike), to come together to paint a wall mural, the end results were nothing short of commendable! The aesthetically pleasing mural depicted a inclusive community of residents housed at the Centre, and also aligned with STC’s strategic focus of providing much-needed resources in support of the Centre’s infrastructural and refurbishment efforts.​​

Fifteen Miss Universe Singapore finalists and 20 beneficiaries from Sunbeam Place spent a memorable morning on 2 September (Saturday), at the Club’s proprietary riding centre – Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre – for an eventful morning of joy rides, visits to the stables as well as partaking in specially curated ponies’ feeding-and-patting sessions. It was not just a morning of pure fun, but was also an emotive and connected time for the contestants, who had the opportunity to work with the children from Sunbeam Place in an up-close-and-personal encounter.​

On 8 Aug 2017, Singapore Turf Club (STC) celebrated National Day with a new adopted charity -  Sunbeam Place (managed by Singapore Children’s Society). STC’s mascots Racer and Clover, and 10 staff volunteers celebrated the nation’s 52nd birthday with children, caregivers and teachers at the Centre. The young beneficiaries were treated to an afternoon of fun, where team games such as Ring Toss, Bull's Eye, Penalty Shootout and Feed The Monkey were played. The children and volunteers came together in teams, to compete against one another at the various games stations and the adrenalin-charged team which completed the games within the shortest period of time, won attractive prizes. The children were also given the space to express themselves creatively, through an art session, where they applied creative splash of colours on plastic cartoon palettes, which were then made into key chains. The engaging afternoon was made especially memorable as staff volunteers also had the opportunity to celebrate the birthdays of some of the children who were born in the month of August.​

Singapore Turf Club (STC) organised a Sushi Making Workshop for the beneficiaries of Sunbeam Place (managed by Singapore Children’s Society) on Thursday, 15 June 2017. There were 10 STC volunteers and they paired up with 20 children to learn the art of making delicious sushi. Participants learnt how to make three different types of sushi - Yaki Corn Sushi, Tobikko Gunkan and Tamago Temaki. It was a fulfilling activity that fostered communications and teamwork, rendering the event another successful community outreach involving staff volunteers.

​Thursday, 8 December 2016, marked Sports Day for our adopted charity, Melrose Home, where Singapore Turf Club (STC) organised for a fun and adrenalin-charged game of “Laser Tag” at The Cage @ Kallang. 12 children and STC staff volunteers were split into teams of 4, and given equal opportunity to battle against each other. Laughter and excitement filled the cage as each team attempted to claim the victory during their round. The event concluded with a more challenging activity of fusing the games “Capture the Flag” and “Laser Tag”, whereby the same teams would have to not only protect their own base, but also bring over their ‘flags’ from the opponent’s side without being eliminated. On top of having fun as well as a good exercise, the children learnt the importance of teamwork and communication by interacting with STC’s volunteers, which allowed for both a fruitful and enjoyable experience.

Singapore Turf Club (STC) celebrated Children’s Day on 7 Oct 2016 with a group of beneficiaries from Melrose Home, by embarking on an excursion to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery and the Emergency Preparedness Centre, operated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Fourteen children spent a fruitful afternoon learning the latest fire-fighting techniques and rescue technology developed and used by SCDF to handle a range of emergencies from fires to medical exigencies, war and terrorist-related incidents as well as anticipating natural disasters. SCDF’s Emergency Preparedness facilities also featured four cutting-edge interactive galleries such as the Fire and Evacuation Gallery, War and Terrorism Gallery, Ice-Cube Virtual Reality Simulator as well as the Natural Disasters Gallery where participants get to learn fire safety tips, emergency preparedness knowledge and life-saving skills through fun-filled and state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. The outing was a rewarding and fulfilling one, which allowed the children to learn outside the confines of a classroom.

On Thursday, 8 September 2016, STC brought children and staff from our adopted charity, Melrose Home, to the Club’s proprietary horse riding school, the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre (STCRC), for a morning of fun in celebration of the Home’s Staff & Residents Bonding Day. To many of our beneficiaries and their staff, this was the first time they had a first-hand experiential experience up-close and personal with horses and ponies.

A myriad of activities were planned for this encounter, which included Pony Rides, Stables Tours, Pony Feeding & Petting. Each child and staff also had the opportunity to pose for pictures with ponies which sealed the day as a memorable one.

Singapore Turf Club (STC)’s mascots Racer and Clover, and 10 STC staff volunteers celebrated Singapore’s 51st birthday with children, caregivers and teachers of Melrose Home on Thursday, 4 August 2016. Beneficiaries of the Home were treated to a fun afternoon which included carnival games, magic and puppet performances as well as special appearance of the Club’s mascots. The engagement allowed opportunity for the children of the Home and STC’s volunteers to communicate and interact with one another. There was also birthday-sing-along and cake-cutting to commemorate​ the nation's 51st birthday.

17 Singapore Turf Club (STC) staff came together on Tuesday, 29 December 2015 to assist in another spring cleaning efforts at the Club’s Adopted Charity, Melrose Home. The volunteers were assigned to paint 3 Meeting Rooms and a TV Room at the Home.

Besides spring cleaning, a mini year-end celebration was also arranged for the children and staff of the Home. A buffet lunch was provided, coupled with an enticing programme of magic, puppetry and balloon sculpturing, which left the children in awe and excitement. STC also gifted 50 pillows as gifts to the children as part of the year-end festive gifting. 

18 Singapore Turf Club (STC) staff came together in unison for a meaningful afternoon of hard labour on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 to assist in spring cleaning efforts at the Club’s Adopted Charity, Melrose Home. The volunteers performed general housekeeping duties, sorted and categorised a myriad of items such as story books, learning aids, musical instruments, and toys amongst others that were stacked in two main areas in the Home's premises, namely the Library and the Music Room. A group of staff also took to the open-air playground to sweep up dead leaves, trimmed and pruned overgrown bushes. Moving forward, STC will be working closely with the Home to lend a helping hand in various areas of need.

15 Singapore Turf Club (STC) staff volunteered their time to celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday with children, caregivers and teachers of Melrose Home on Thursday, 6 August 2015. A host of fun games and activities was planned to allow opportunity for the children of the Home and STC’s volunteers to communicate and interact with one another. The final segment of the day’s event culminated in a birthday-sing-along and cake-cutting ceremony, where everyone sang their hearts out to wish Singapore a wonderful birthday.

More than 7,000 people celebrated Singapore’s 50th Birthday with Tote Board Family (comprising Singapore Pools, Tote Board and Singapore Turf Club) on Thursday, 4 June 2015 at the Singapore Racecourse. Families, young children and elderly, and more than 450 beneficiaries from 24 charity and community groups enjoyed a night of fun, games and performances. Volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) and Non-Profit Organisations (NGOs) also joined hands to run a Charity Bazaar. Proceeds from the bazaar sales were donated to worthy social causes. The highlight of the event was when participants, together with Tote Board Family, set a new record for the Singapore Book of Records for the largest SG50 fan mass dance.

In celebration of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary, Singapore Turf Club (STC) opened its majestic race track to the public for a morning of family fun and bonding during the SG50 "No Horse Run" Community Walk. More than 3,500 participants attended the first mass walk held at the Singapore Racecourse. The Club’s mascots Racer and Clover greeted the walkers and motivated them to complete the 1.8km walk along the racetrack.

​17 staff volunteers from STC went down to THK's premises, located just minutes away by foot from Admiralty MRT station to inject joy and happiness for the children by celebrating National Day with them. Games were organised by the centre's staff and STC's staff helped to engage and encourage the children to participate in them. There was also a cake cutting to commemorate​ the nation's birthday.

The Singapore Racecourse was filled with a myriad of fun and laughter in the evening as Singapore Turf Club (STC) held the first of its two annual open houses. Attracting a crowd of 3,300 during the first week of the June school holidays, the event saw children being entertained by a slew of activities such as the colouring contest, meeting and taking pictures with STC's mascots, Racer and Clover. The pony rides, a key highlight for the children, as well as the new exclusive track tour were well received by the public. A total of $3,500 was raised from the two activities, which will be donated to Thye Hua Kwan EIPIC Centre @ Woodlands, STC's adopted charity.

​Music lovers were treated to a performance by SSO at the Singapore Racecourse. Made possible by a community collaboration between SSO and Singapore Turf Club (STC), SSO performed a music repertoire in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Parade Ring. Among the list on the repertoire were Gioachino Rossini's Willia Tell Overture and Ballet Suite No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich. STC's mascots, Racer and Clover, made a special appearance too for photo opportunities with the crowd. Admission to the event was free and was opened to everybody.

As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, Singapore Turf Club hosted the acclaimed “Purple Phoenix”, an all-ladies Chinese orchestra from Beijing, China at the Singapore Racecourse on 17 August 2013 for a one-night-only concert. Admission and parking was free and the event was opened to everyone. The award winning ensemble entertained the crowds with well-known Chinese classics over two hours. 

(photo courtesy of Mr Tan Kim Leng) 

The morning of 7 August saw the Club’s staff come together in a sea of red to celebrate the nation’s 48th birthday. This was the first time that the Club celebrated National Day with its adopted charity. A total of 76 staff volunteers set up game stalls which kept the children entertained while the adults were treated to a sumptuous buffet spread. The highlight of the event was the horse patting where the guests were invited to feed and pat the horses and Dr Koos, Head Veterinary of the Club gave a short educational talk about the horse as well.

The first of the two bi-annual open house event attracted more than 3,500 members of the public, comprising of children and their parents, to the Singapore Racecourse. Besides busking in the carnival atmosphere, children were also excited at meeting their favourite Singapore Turf Clubs's (STC) mascot, Racer and Clover, and having their pictures taken together. The adults were not left out from all the fun as they were treated to a multi-sensory experience of musical performances, carnival food and game stalls. The highlight of the evening however, was the pony rides which the children were looking forward to. A total of $2,000 raised from the pony rides were donated to STC’s adopted charity - Thye Hua Kwan EIPIC Centre @Woodlands towards building a multi-sensory gym for their beneficiaries.

​Organised as part of the Singapore International Racing Festival (SIRF) 2013, the Turf Belles and 18 staff volunteers from Singapore Turf Club (STC) helped to sell cupcakes during the SIRF road show at Chinatown Point. A new record was set for the largest cupcake tower in Singapore with 2,888 cupcakes. All proceeds from the sales of the cupcakes were donated to STC's adopted charity, Thye Hua Kwan EIPIC Centre @ Woodlands for the establishment of a new sensori-motor gym.

The December edition of Singapore Turf Club's (STC) Bi-annual open house event saw a 4000 strong crowd make their way down to the Singapore Racecourse. True to the name of the event, there were activities organised for everyone, children and adults alike. Guests were entertained by dance performances while the children were enchanted by the magic repertoire performance. Children also got to ride on ponies too and sign up for riding lessons offered by STC Riding Centre. To top it off, a mass Gangnam style was staged with numerous dancers and guests got a chance to compete to be the Best Gangnam style dancer.

The annual Blood Donation Drive, organised jointly by the Singapore Red Cross and the HR Department, usually takes place at the end of the year, which coincides with the season of giving. The drive was held at the Sportsbuzz located within the Club’s premises.

This year, despite the mass health screening for staff in the same month, the turnout for the event was better than expected and a total of 48 units were collected, both from staff and members of the public. There were even donors who rushed down at the last minute before the closing time and requested to donate their blood. With the collected units, a potential 144 lives could be saved (1 unit can save up to 3 lives).

​The Club, together with Tote Board, traditionally disburses funds to charity organisations during the Singapore Gold Cup, which is also designated as the Club’s Annual Charity Race Day.  In 2012, Tote Board Chairman Mr Bobby Chin, the Guest-of-Honour at the Singapore Gold Cup, presented donation cheques totalling S$1.5 million to 25 selected charities. The donations will go a long way in helping the beneficiaries with their various programmes.

A further S$237,116 was raised by a charity luncheon for the Chaoyang School. The luncheon comprised of an auction where paintings by Mr Ong Kim Seng, a timepiece from the Longines Saint-Imier Collection, a stunning hat donned by Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Ms Aishwarya Rai Bachchan herself at the Prix de Diance Longines in July 2011 and 6 art pieces done by students of Chaoyang School were showcased.

In collaboration with MediaCorp, Singapore Turf Club (STC) granted the wishes of 5 under-privileged youths with serious medical conditions through this programme. Nominated by various Voluntary Welfare Organisations, the beneficiaries ranged from 3 to 16 years old. Through the programme, STC fulfilled the wishes of the children, including a 16 year old diagnosed with Congential Muscular Dystrophy, which is a genetic disorder that causes the muscles to slowly waste away. As her wish was to study Veterinary Technology, STC provided her with the opportunity to be a veterinary assistant for a day. This allowed her to witness the operations of vets first hand and up close. Creating beautiful memories and lasting impressions was important to the children, some of whom may not be able to live normal lives without constant medical assistance.

In celebration of 170 years of racing in Singapore, the Club together with our adopted charity, Club Rainbow (Singapore), organised a charity luncheon. The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour, Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor, North West District.

Funds raised through the charity luncheon and a Club-wide car-washing fundraiser held earlier in February went towards helping Club RainbowSingapore) purchase a van to transport their beneficiaries. 

Organised by the Staff Recreation Club for the first time, a food donation drive was carried out for the benefit of adopted charity Club Rainbow (Singapore).

Driven by the goodwill and support of many STC staff, numerous items such as special formula milk powders, diapers and food items were donated and benefited about 100 familes under the care of Club Rainbow.

More than 5,000 visitors flocked to this fun-filled bi-annual Open House organised by the Singapore Turf Club as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts. Highlights of the evening included the free screening of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 and meet-and-greet sessions with the Alvin, Simon and Theodore mascots.

1,000 children got a chance to redeem a character mask and exclusive movie premiums were won at stage games. The public enjoyed watching the trial gallops and had the opportunity to pat the horses, take photographs and feed them. The Club also hosted over 100 beneficaries from Club Rainbow at the Gold Card Room.  

The Club, together with Tote Board, traditionally disburses funds to charity organisations during the Singapore Gold Cup, which is also designated as the Club’s Annual Charity Race Day. In 2011, President Tony Tan Keng Yam, the Guest-of-Honour at the Singapore Gold Cup, presented donation cheques totalling $1.5 million to 23 selected charities. The donations will go a long way in helping the beneficiaries with their various programmes.

In addition, Longines ambassador Aaron Kwok, popularly known as a “Heavenly King” in Hong Kong’s Cantopop scene, was also roped in to raise funds for charity. His limited edition Live in Changsha World Tour 2011 Crystal T-shirt was successfully auctioned off for $10,000. Through a charity luncheon and silent auctions, a total sum of $241,136 was raised for Chaoyang School, a social service programme supported by the Singapore Community Chest.

RenovAID is a popular reality “info-ed” series developed to help the underprivileged one-, two- or threeroom flat dwellers in the community. Into its third season, the show reinvents the chosen HDB homes through a complete makeover, with a total waiver of the renovation fees. STC was a sponsor of this programme and 10 staff volunteers helped with the pre-renovation works for two of the selected families.

About 3,000 racing and music fans gathered at the Singapore Racecourse to partake in the Club’s Mid-Autumn Celebration – a free concert by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) featuring conductor Maestro Lim Yau. Amidst the crowd were 60 beneficiaries from Club Rainbow who were invited to share in the joy of attending this year’s concert – the ninth collaboration between the Club and SSO. In keeping with the celebratory mood, complimentary mooncakes were given away to the first 2,500 attendees while 300 early birds received a lucky horse figurine each. Ten contest participants were also awarded exclusive SSO and STC premiums. The event was part of STC's ongoing series of community projects; while for the SSO, the concert served as an outreach activity to touch families with classical music.