The Marina Bay Sands casino resort, a property run by a unit of gaming operator Las Vegas Sands Corp, will dedicate the month of August to community fundraising and volunteer initiatives as it stages the 12th edition of the “Sands for Singapore Charity Festival”.
The annual programme has raised more than SGD45 million (US$34.9 million) for social causes since its launch in 2013, according to a recent press release.
The casino resort said the festival, running under its Sands Cares community engagement programme, would feature a three-day public event from August 28 to 30. The complex will also host a month-long “Dine for Good” campaign and a series of volunteer activities involving its workforce.
Paul Town, chief operating officer of Marina Bay Sands, said in prepared remarks that the festival had evolved over the past 12 years from a fundraising initiative into a broader platform for community engagement.
“We are proud to continually find new ways to bring the expertise of our team members and partners to life in support of meaningful causes,” he stated.
The festival programme will include live performances by Singapore artists, fundraising activities, community booths and a “Giving Marketplace” featuring 12 local non-profit organisations, social enterprises and small businesses, per the announcement.
The annual “Community Chest Heartstrings Walk” and “Race to the Sky Vertical Marathon” will also return on August 29, supporting more than 300 social service programmes across Singapore.
As part of the Dine for Good campaign, 12 restaurants at Marina Bay Sands will contribute proceeds from selected signature dishes to benefit AWWA’s Enabled Living @ Bedok programme. It is a pilot initiative in the city-state designed to support independent living for people with disabilities.
The resort said its employees would take part in volunteer activities throughout July and August, including supporting senior citizens; visiting adults with intellectual disabilities; refurbishing temporary shelters for low-income families; and in late July assembling 30,000 hygiene kits in partnership with Clean the World.
The hygiene kits will be distributed to communities in Singapore and the Philippines, the property’s promoter added.
