Community Chest Heartstrings Walk 2021 raised over $4.7m

The annual Community Chest (ComChest) Heartstrings Walk commenced yesterday, 28 February 2021.

Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health, Mr Masagos Zulkifli officiated the launch that was live-streamed on ComChest’s Facebook page.

Already, over $4.7 million has been raised for the event, which is in its 10th year. The community walk is organised in collaboration with Marina Bay Sands.

ComChest seeks to rally “partners, volunteers, social service users and the community to build a nation that cares and shares” through the annual event.

“100% of the donations raised through the event will go towards supporting about 80 social service agencies providing over 200 critical social service programmes,” they added.

Read ComChest’s full Facebook post here:

Going Digital

As with most events during the pandemic, new measures had to be undertaken to ensure that it could be carried out. In this “new normal”, going digital is truly becoming the default.

This year’s ComChest Heartstrings Walk has two different options—Heartstrings Walk Anywhere and Heartstrings Walk Marina Bay.

Both walks are 5km long and require a $28 and $38 donation respectively. The first walk allows you to participate in the event in any location of your choice.

The second walk requires you to be in Marina Bay.

The Marina Bay walk has a new twist to it though. They promise to deliver “an interactive experience at five selected checkpoints”.

As reported by The Straits Times, said “interactive experience” will involve Augmented Reality (AR) filters and challenges that activate when you reach iconic checkpoints like the  Merlion Park and Helix Bridge.

There’s even a social media photo contest! Users should make use of the AR filters to snap creative pictures or Instagram stories. To participate in this competition, make sure you use the hashtag, #chsw2021 and tag @comchestsg.

Giving Back to the Community

The event co-chair Mr da Rosa also wishes that the walk helps to unite people from various backgrounds to help out our social services, which are under great stress during the pandemic.

He notes that in these “challenging times, many social service agencies are facing great difficulties with their programmes, and it’s important that we continue to work towards ensuring that their needs are met, even as the pandemic situation eventually improves.”

If you want to walk off some of those Chinese New Year calories and give back to others at the same time, this event is for you.

Registration for the Community Chest Heartstrings Walk is still ongoing, till 31 March 2021. If you wish to sign up, head to their website here.

Want to read more stories that warm your heart? Click here to read about a children’s library located at a Ghim Moh lift lobby.

Feature Image: Facebook (Community Chest Singapore)