Celebrities Voice Out For Cancer Kids

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Gurmit Sing(h)? Yes he did and yes he was there, with about a dozen of Singapore's best singing talents and television and stage personalities. They chorused in unison, all for a worthy cause in aid of the children under the Children's Cancer Foundation. The idea blossomed from the coming together of friends with a vision to assist children-related charities. Such was successfully achieved at the Children's Voice Golf & Dinner Charity 2000 held on August 24 at the Westin Stamford Raffles Ballroom. Eastciti captures the atmosphere at the charity concert glittering with stars.

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<Eastciti.com, August 29> Balloon-cum-floral table arrangements spruced the ballroom awash with colour. Who would have guessed that these novel bouquets would be snapped up by guests at ten dollars a bouquet in an eleventh hour bid for charity? These weren't the only items popular at the charity auction event. There was MediaCorp artiste, Gurmit Singh, who assisted a speed-talking professional auctioneer in putting 5 pairs of airline tickets, an electric safe, a refrigerator and a dress watch under the hammer. Wisecrack Gurmit fared gamely and brilliantly in working his tongue double time to co-host the open auction. Everyone was in stitches when Gurmit began spouting Hokkien phrases in mock plea for the next higher bid. You would have been forgiven to think you were at a Hungry Ghost Festival auction.

As for Gurmit's singing, we assume the rehearsals for the upcoming PCK musical may have thought him a thing or two as he crooned oh-so-smoothly to R Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly. Not that many of us know of Gurmit's vocal prowess, but let's say he's got what it takes for MediaCorp to hone his lesser known talent, outside playing a yellow-booted contractor and hosting a variety show. Before singing his item, he teased the audience by asking SPH staff to identify themselves before he sang. He clarified that his item wasn't meant to be an audition, referring to the vicious poaching of MediaCorp artistes by MediaWorks. Playing emcees that evening were Lim Yu-Beng and Andrea DeCruz. We'd like to have you know that Yu-Beng and his wife Tan Kheng Hua are in the Children's Voice organising committee.

Opening the show in harmony was a quintet comprising Selena Tan, Hossan Leong, Pam Oei, Emma Yong and Babes Conde - accomplished vocalists in their own right. Who would have guessed that they only had time for just two rehearsals before their performance? The biggest applause was reserved for Singapore's Big Daddy, Zul. Like wine, his music seems to get better with age. Jacintha, another crowd pleaser fired two jazz numbers into the appreciative audience. Not before local boyband Dreamz FM, comprising singer/songwriters Jim Lim, Cavin Soh and Ric Loh strummed up some quicker pieces. Rendering the Mandarin version of the national song, Moments Of Magic, was Elsa - famous for singing alongside Tanya Chua and MediaCorp artiste, Fann Wong on television.

The event was indeed something to sing about: A whopping amount of just under two hundred thousand dollars raised at a one-day event for a beneficiary assisting cancer-stricken children. Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Professor Ho Peng Kee, was the guest-of-honour at the Children's Voice Golf & Dinner Charity 2000

Earlier in the day, avid golfers took a swing and the occasional birdie at Tanah Merah Country Club at 7.45am. Among the morning session golfers was ex-MediaCorp artiste, James Lye. A second golf session followed in the afternoon before the charity dinner commenced just before 8pm. This was attended by about 500 guests, some fresh from their flight on the greens…with a shower of course. The donors were forthcoming and contributed a minimum of two thousand dollars for a flight on the lawns and the dinner concert. So after a hot day doing their bit under the blazing sun, the guests were served a typical course-by-course sumptuous Chinese dinner.

The fundraising event comes prior to the Children's Cancer Foundation's Tulip Hearts Day on September 3. The nobility of the organisers, sponsors, donors and artistes who made the event a huge success calls for a more gracious and caring society. The stars continue to shine in more ways than one.

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Official Children's Voice Website

Official Children's Cancer Foundation Website

Official Tulip Hearts Day Website

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