Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) commemorated its 50th anniversary with a Charity Gala Dinner held at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove on 6 December 2019. The dinner was attended by donors, community and corporate partners, past and present leaders and staff of SOS. President Halimah Yacob graced the dinner as Guest-of-Honour, and the dinner was hosted by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development, Second Minister for Finance, and Patron of SOS.
The dinner saw how individuals from all walks of life come together in support of a common cause toward suicide prevention in Singapore. Ms Lee Sook Fung, Chairman of SOS, stressed that with the help of every individual, SOS can continue to "be that spark of hope, igniting and illuminating light amidst the darkness in the lives of those in distress". You can read the transcript of her welcome address here.
In his opening address, Mr Lawrence Wong acknowledged the work of SOS. "SOS’s work is rarely seen in the public spotlight. But what the SOS does to support the vulnerable is invaluable. Over the years, SOS has helped to save countless lives. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the SOS team works tirelessly to lend a listening ear to everyone in distress and to provide emotional support for individuals who are on the brink of suicide" said Mr Wong. You can read the transcript of his opening address here.
From left: Mr Gasper Tan (Chief Executive, SOS), Ms Lee Sook Fung (Chairman, SOS), President Halimah Yacob (Guest-of-Honour), Mr Lawrence Wong (Patron of SOS), Mr Mah Bow Tan (ex Patron of SOS), Mr Chinnatamby Nandakumar (Vice-Chairman, SOS)Dance performance by alumni of NTU Contempminated Dance ClubJoint performance item by A Flutey Affair and Jolie OwToken of appreciation presented to President Halimah YacobToken of appreciation presented to Mr Lawrence Wong, Patron of SOSToken of appreciation presented to Mr Mah Bow Tan, past Patron of SOSToken of appreciation presented to the family of late President S R Nathan, represented by Ms Juthika RamanathanToken of appreciation presented to Counselling and Care Centre, represented by Ms Ruth ChuaToken of appreciation presented to Mr Marvin Bay, District JudgeToken of appreciation presented to Facebook APAC, represented by Ms Snow White SmelserToken of appreciation presented to the Institute of Mental Health, represented by Dr Daniel FungToken of appreciation presented to the National Council of Social Service, represented by Mr Bruce LiewToken of appreciation presented to Dr George Paul, Senior Consultant Forensic Pathologist, HSAToken of appreciation presented to Ms Kamala Ponnampalam, State CoronerToken of appreciation presented to TBWA\ Singapore, represented by Ms Corinne YongToken of appreciation presented to The Mindful Company, represented by Ms Gillian LimToken of appreciation presented to Twitter Singapore, represented by Ms Amanda AngThe Master of Ceremony for the night was Ms Caitanya Tan
Official venue partner
Official partner
Official florist