PUBLISHED ONJune 15, 2020 6:44 AMByBryan LimThe circuit breaker measures may be gradually lifting but online concerts aren't grinding to a halt just yet.
Next Sunday (June 28), the Live It Up Charity Concert will bring local celebrities including Dick Lee, Jack Neo, Li Nanxing, Marcus Chin, Wang Lei, ShiGGa Shay, Tay Kexin, Tosh Zhang, Ryan Lian, Kok Wei Le, and Benjamin Hum together for a night of philanthropy.
Presented by Unusual Entertainment and mm2 Entertainment, the concert will be broadcasted live on AsiaOne's Facebook page at 9pm, and aims to support families and those who have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 situation in Singapore. AsiaOne is the official media partner for the concert.
It will be hosted by Irene Ang and Jaspers Lai, and the guest artistes will each perform a musical number, as well as engage with their fans over the Facebook live feed.
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The concert will be streamed live from the official venue 2mm Talent Hub, with safety measures (per the IMDA advisory for the resumption of content production in Phase 1) implemented to ensure the health and safety of the artistes and production crew.
Members of the public will not be permitted to attend the recording but are encouraged to share their care and support online and through donations made via PayNow or Giving.sg. Donations can be made from today onwards.
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Providing support to struggling individuals and families
The donations raised during the concert will go towards local charities SPD and Community Chest, who are providing support for peoples with disabilities, low-income families, the elderly, and individuals whose circumstances are a constant struggle. These groups are among the most affected by the impact of Covid-19 and may need even greater support in this current climate.
The organisations have also noted that they are seeing an increasing number of beneficiaries facing hardships such as limited job options, and are expected to seek more financial assistance as the full economic impact of Covid-19 hits Singapore.
One of the beneficiaries of the organisations is five-year-old Syed Rayyan.
Rayyan has cerebral palsy and is enrolled in SPD's Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC). Through the therapy provided at EIPIC, he is now able to stand with support using leg braces and can use a buzzer to communicate.
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His family is adversely affected when his father received a pay cut as a result of the current pandemic, and at the same time, his mother was treated for a medical emergency. Although Rayyan's family receives subsidises, they are struggling to make ends meet.
Live It Up aims to highlight the struggles of families such as Rayyan's, who receive help and support from SPD and Community Chest. Charitable donations have fallen in the wake of the pandemic, even though the needs of vulnerable groups have increased.
"The Covid-19 situation has adversely affected many lives. Vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities will continue to require support and assistance whether the economy is good or bad," said Abhimanyau Pal, the chief executive officer of SPD.
"Hence, donations received will help us provide them with the necessary support this period and beyond Covid-19. This is especially important when the fundraising situation is expected to be challenging in the near to long-term period."
bryanlim@asiaone.com