The 2017 edition of the Kindness Day Singapore has joined hands with several Ground-Up movements (GUMs) to carry out community activities for the month of May.
It builds on the theme of “Kindness, it’s Up to Us” and will challenge Singaporeans to put aside their reservations and make a conscious decision to be kind.
Events for Singapore Kindness Day 2017
Falling on the second last Friday of May (19 May), Singapore Kindness Day 2017 will bring Singaporeans across sectors to celebrate kindness and graciousness in the society. As such, events organised for Singapore Kindness Day 2017, will include the following.
Recognition of GUMs for Singapore Kindness Day
A Kindness Day appreciation dinner will take place at Stadium Riverside Walk and it will see Chief of Sports Medicine and former Nominated Member of Parliament, Dr. Ben Tan, as the guest of honour. This year, 11 new GUMs have been inducted into the Kindred Spirit Circle and this brings the total number to 62 GUMs since 2013. These groups work with the Singapore Kindness Movement to promote the message of kindness and address specific social issues to the various communities in our nation.
Singapore Kindness Run
Taking place on 14 May, the Singapore Kindness Run was the initiative of the Runners’ Heart-Reach and in partnership with the Singapore Kindness Movement. It will be the first ever run where kind acts and good running etiquette is experienced by all runners. The race will be flagged off by Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC.
Runners will be running alongside the elite kindness ambassadors, consisting of Team Singapore marathoner Jasmine Goh, Ironman triathlete Choo Ling Er and other athletes as they promote a more gracious running community. There will also be booths onsite such as In My Shoes, a movement to take unwanted sports shoes and redistribute them to those in need.
#OneKindDay
This is an online movement to encourage Singaporeans to use their social media channels to offer help to their own circle of friends. Singaporean personalities like Sara-Ann Chuen Krishnamoorthy have offered to help out on social media and her offer to do a makeover for two elderly ladies has garnered more than 13,000 views and 500 likes on Facebook in under a week.
This has also encouraged Singaporeans to share their stories of kindness towards friends and acquaintances over social media. Using the hashtag #OneKindDay, it encourages the Singapore community to recognise, appreciate and thank friends who have helped them and at the same time, inspire others to do likewise.
Comforting to see Singaporeans come together to take a stand for kindness
Said Dr William Wan, General Secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement, “As we approach our fifth year of Kindness Day Singapore, it is really comforting to see members of our community come together and take a stand for kindness be it through personal initiatives or through volunteering with community groups. These projects do not remain unnoticed and have played a vital role in transforming our society into a more inclusive and gracious one.”
He added “I look forward to seeing Singaporeans implement more ideas and create a Nation of Kindness that we can all be proud of in years to come.”
A “Garden of Gratitude” to inspire and fuel the spirit of kindness in Singapore
To inspire and fuel the spirt of kindness in Singapore, a special art maze, named Garden of Gratitude, will also be displayed throughout the incorporation of daisy windmills and light bulbs. The public will be invited to view the Garden of Gratitude from 19 May to 30 June and it will be located at Stadium Riverside Walk.
All photos in this post are credited to Singapore Kindness Movement.
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