Singapore Red Cross' local humanitarian work benefits from yet another successful flag day

SINGAPORE, 27 FEBRUARY 2010 – The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) may be recognised for its involvement with disaster and poverty-afflicted in the region, but Flag Day highlights an important but little-known role the SRC has in the local community.

Flag Day 2010 aims to raise about S$200,000 through collecting donations from the public and is an annual initiative that supports SRC’s local humanitarian work, which includes:

-   subsidising the costs incurred by the Red Cross Non-Emergency Ambulance Service as it ferries elderly and needy clients to and from their medical appointments
-   subsidising the fees required to train volunteers to be certified in First Aid and Disaster Management so they may be ready for emergency situations, local and overseas
-   subsidising the costs incurred by food, accommodation, therapy sessions and nursing care for severely disabled residents in the Red Cross Home for the Disabled

One of the society’s flagship fundraising events, Flag Day is an annual fixture for more than four decades and has helped boost SRC’s humanitarian contributions locally over the years.

The Red Cross Non-Emergency Ambulance Service makes over 8,000 trips annually, helping the needy and elderly ease the burden of their ailments significantly. The First Aid and Disaster Management volunteers participate in milestone events such as the Formula One and the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, as well as working with other national Red Cross societies in disaster situations overseas. The Red Cross Home for the Disabled will be relocating to a larger premise end of March, enabling it to accommodate more residents and offer more services.

Besides street collections which Flag Day is synonymous with, corporations also participated by collecting funds from their employees. The public also sent cheque and cash donations prior to the Flag Day street collection event. So far, over 8,800 donation tins have been committed to street collections and internal collections from corporations.

From 7.30am to 8pm, over 7,000 volunteers and staff were stationed across the island to seek public donations, with several schools and the Red Cross House converted into bustling collection points for the day.

They called upon members of the public at busy areas such as MRT stations, outside of shopping centres and heartland malls to spare some change for a worthy cause.

Others like See Ching Yee and Celeste Goh, both 17, helped to sort out the donation tins at the Red Cross House. This is the fourth time both volunteers have been involved in Flag Day. “Although it's chaotic, everyone is putting in effort to help out with Flag Day,” said Ching Yee. “I feel a sense of achievement when I hear about the total amount of money raised.” added Celeste.

These volunteers include students from more than 60 primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions, as well as adult and youth volunteers and staff of the SRC.

SRC’s celebrity ambassador veteran actor Edmund Chen also participated hands-on by helping volunteers and staff to sell flags and encouraging them to work hard for the beneficiaries of SRC’s local humanitarian work.

Flag Day 2009 raised over S$160,000 and committed over 6,000 tins. This was double the initial target set by SRC, which was S$80,000. 2010 sees a higher target of S$200,000 due to the very encouraging response Flag Day met with in 2009.

SINGAPORE RED CROSS SOCIETY, 27 FEBRUARY 2010