Our representatives from the Hong Leong Group of companies taking a pose with Guest-of-Honour Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower (centre) at the Children for Children charity event. Clockwise from left in the foreground: Mr Allen Ang (CDL EVP for Green Building and Safety); Mr Andy Tan (MHR SVP of Global Sales & Partnerships); Ms Joan Yeo (HLF CFO); Mr Kwek Eik Sheng (Hong Leong Foundation Governor); Mr Chia Ngiang Hong (CDL Group General Manager); Ms Tan Siew Leng (HLH Senior Legal Counsel); and Ms Kwek Pei Xuan (HLA Executive Director).
Hong Leong
Group Helps
Raise S$103,000
To Keep
Children’s
Dreams Alive
700 students embark on a historical adventure for Children’s Day.
The Hong Leong Group of companies returned with enthusiastic support for Children for Children (CFC), an annual community event, and helped raise S$103,000 for underprivileged kids this year. The companies are Hong Leong Foundation, City Developments Limited (CDL), Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), Hong Leong Holdings (HLH), Hong Leong Asia (HLA) and Hong Leong Finance (HLF).
Other donors for CFC 2024 include CWT Limited, Nippon Paint, Ransack, TS Group and UBS. Together with Hong Leong Group, a total of S$103,000 was raised for underprivileged children this year.
During the event 3 October, 700 school students came together to celebrate Children’s Day with The Great Puzzle Hunt, a fun-filled day of adventure that included a visit to The Battlebox, Singapore’s only operational World War II bunker. The Battlebox reopened last year under new management and provides enhanced experience including 270° projection rooms, offering a unique learning opportunity about the nation's wartime history using modern technology.
After the puzzle hunt, students from CHIJ (Kellock) will host the event’s participants with performances and mini-carnival activities at Fort Canning Hotel, adding a festive and celebratory atmosphere to the day.
The event is jointly organised by CHIJ (Kellock), non-profit arts organisation TRCL, and Singapore’s business daily, The Business Times. The event aims to provide children with a meaningful experience that blends education and entertainment while fostering a deeper understanding of Singapore’s heritage and history. This year’s event had Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower as the Guest-of-Honour.
Ms Chen Huifen, Editor of The Business Times, hopes the event can energise the children. She said: “The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) remains committed to its mission that no child is left behind, and CFC is an annual undertaking that resonates strongly with these words. As one of the first instances where children comes into contact with BT BAF and its work, CFC is also a chance to show that we remember and are aware of our underserved children in society. ‘Hold on to Our Dreams’ is also an apt theme to remind the children to stay strong in the face of adversity and keep their dreams and aspirations as their focus as they grow up.”
CFC is more than just a fun-filled event—it also serves as a fundraiser for BT BAF, which aims to uplift underserved children and youth aged between six to 19 years old through the transformative power of the arts via fully sponsored arts training programmes; helping them build confidence, develop their characters and expand their skill sets.
