Advertisement

Junior golfers run to raise over $33k for 'You'll Never Walk Alone' ComChest campaign

Singapore junior golfers raised $33,203 for the #YNWAbyComChest charity campaign fronted by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin (centre). (PHOTO: Singapore Golf Association)
Singapore junior golfers raised $33,203 for the #YNWAbyComChest charity campaign fronted by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin (centre). (PHOTO: Singapore Golf Association)

SINGAPORE — “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (YNWA) is the famous anthem of Liverpool Football Club. For more than 80 Singapore junior golfers, they did not run alone too.

For about a week in July, these golfers – some as young as seven years old – pledged to run a total of 203 kilometres to raise funds for the #YNWAbyComChest charity campaign.

The 9 June to 9 August Community Chest campaign – fronted by Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and supported by Official Liverpool Supporters Club Singapore and Official Liverpool Supporters Club Singapore East – seeks to support vulnerable groups in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter.

Not only did the junior golfers hit their mark, but they also ran far more than that – 400km in fact. In doing so, they exceeded their fundraising target of $20,300, raising $33,203 from more than 350 pledged donors.

On Monday (3 August), the golfers presented the donation cheque to Speaker Tan at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club. The golf club also sponsored Green Fee vouchers to 12 of the youngsters who managed to raise the most donations, find the most donors or make the most creative donation videos.

Thanking the golfers for their efforts, Tan said at the ceremony, “In Singapore, we tend to grumble about a lot of things. By reaching out and helping others, we can be reminded of how blessed we are, and it helps us lower our sense of self-entitlement while allowing us to use our sense of compassion and empathy.

“It’s really good to see our sports boys and girls chipping in to make a difference. In our own small ways, however young you are, you have an ability to reach out and inspire others.”

Tan also revealed that the #YNWAbyComChest campaign has raised about $360,000, with less than a week to go. The government will be matching 20 per cent of whatever sum is raised from the campaign.

SEA Games gold medallist James Leow (left) hands a cheque of $33,203 raised by Singapore junior golfers for the #YNWAbyComChest charity campaign to Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin (PHOTO: Singapore Golf Association)
SEA Games gold medallist James Leow (left) hands a cheque of $33,203 raised by Singapore junior golfers for the #YNWAbyComChest charity campaign to Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin (PHOTO: Singapore Golf Association)

203km mark inspired by James Leow’s gold-winning score

The initial 203km mark was inspired by the winning score of 203 by national golfer James Leow when he won the men’s singles gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games.

Leow, 23, said it was an honour to have his winning mark associated with the campaign.

“When (the organisers) approached me to explain the goals of the campaign, I hopped on board right away,” he told Yahoo News Singapore.

“We’re fortunate enough to be able to play golf, which is not a cheap sport for many people. And so teaching younger golfers to give back to the community is a very crucial thing.”

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

Other Singapore stories:

Trust Yoga instructor on leave of absence after ex-student alleges sexual assault during class

Up to 100 persons allowed in 12 places of worship from Friday: MCCY

COVID-19: Monitoring devices for those serving SHNs outside of dedicated facilities from 10 Aug

Singapore suicides rose in 2019, SOS to offer text-based counselling