Key takeaways:

• The SPD Charity golf event raised about $285,000 in donations for people with disabilities
• 350 guests showed up for the event which was held at PARKROYAL
• The theme for the event was “moments to remember” where guests were brought down memory lane through performances by Singapore’s own Jacintha Abisheganaden and Vernon Cornelius, the lead vocalist of the popular band called the Quests in the 60s.
• Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance also made a guest appearance
• The four course dinner consisted of dishes made by the Singapore National Culinary Team who clinched gold at the 2016 Culinary Olympics.

SPD’s Charity Dinner was a huge success with $285,000 raised in donations. 350 guests showed up for the event which comprised of a four course meal prepared by the Singapore National Culinary Team who clinched gold at the 2016 Culinary Olympics. Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance also made a guest appearance alongside singers such as Jacintha Abisheganaden and Vernon Cornelius, the lead vocalist of the popular band called the Quests in the 60s. Thus commemorating a moment to remember which also happens to be the theme for this year’s charity dinner.

The inaugural SPD Charity Dinner held at PARKROYAL on Beach Road on 23 March took 350 guests down memory lane and included a gastronomical experience to boot. The event also raised close to $285,000.

Themed “Moments to Remember”, it was a grand affair with performances by Singapore’s own Jacintha Abisheganaden and Vernon Cornelius, the lead vocalist of the popular band called the Quests in the 60s.

The evening’s dinner also scored with guests who included Guest-of-Honour, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong. The four-course dinner was prepared by the Singapore National Culinary Team who took gold at the Culinary Olympics in 2016. The evening’s menu was an adaptation of the winning dishes that won the Singapore National Culinary Team the coveted title.

“Against a challenging economic climate, this dinner was organised for the first time to provide another avenue to garner more donations. We are grateful to the chefs and performers for going out of their way to make this dinner a delightful one, and thankful to the individuals and companies who were forthcoming in their support. They have given us the confidence to reach out and serve more,” said Ms Chia Yong Yong, President, SPD, who delivered the opening address of the event.

(From left) Chefs Alan Wong, Teo Yeow Siang, Tony Khoo, Louis Tay and Roy Lim were part of the team that prepared the night’s sumptuous feast.

Chefs preparing for the night’s dinner.

The dinner for the night was prepared by the Singapore National Culinary Team. The award winning chefs treated guests to a sumptuous menu which included exquisite dishes such as crustacean bisque with crab tortellini and lemon oil and roasted chicken roulade.

“The dishes are the same ones as the ones we cooked at the Culinary Olympics, we only changed the entrée’s meat from rabbit to chicken as it caters more towards a Singaporean’s eating habits,” said team manager, Chef Louis Tay.

Vernon Cornelius and his band performing at the SPD Charity Dinner 2018.

Daphne Yeo takes the stage to perform some evergreen tunes.

Music prodigy and classical singer, Lauren Yeo, delighting the guests with tunes such as “You Raise Me Up”.

Apart from the exquisite food, guests were treated to a number of performances. Evergreen tunes such as “Our Love is Here to Stay”, “If we Hold On Together” and “You Raise Me Up” filled the ballroom throughout the night as Jacintha Abisheganaden, Vernon Cornelius and other singers belted popular tunes from the yesteryears. Child music prodigy and classical singer, 14-year-old Lauren Yeo, who performed at Carnegie Hall when she was 9, performed a few songs to great applause.

Guest-of-Honour, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong (middle), alongside Lauren Yeo and Samuel Lim, one of SPD’s own beneficiaries.

Samuel Lim and Sze Jing performed “Counting Stars” on their guzhengs during the event.

Our own beneficiary, Samuel Lim, also strummed a number of popular tunes on his guzheng including a rendition of popular American band One Republic’s “Counting Stars”. Samuel was a recipient of SPD’s Youth Aspiration Award in 2016. Joining him on stage was his classmate, Sze Jing, who has performed with him on a number of occasions.

(From left) Mr Achal Agarwal, Chairman of the SPD Charity Dinner committee, Mr Lawrence Wong, board member Mr Tan Soo Nan and Executive Director of SPD, Mr Abhimanyau Pal with the donation cheque of the night.

SPD raised close to $285,000 in donations and ended off the night with a cheque presentation.

Thank you for being a part of this journey, and for continuing to believe in our vision. We seek to better serve our clients and continue making progress towards an inclusive society.