If you grew up watching free-to-air television, then you'd be familiar with Mediacorp's annual flagship fundraiser under the President's Challenge. The President's Star Charity was first produced in 1994 to plug local artists and contribute to charity at the same time.
This year, the benefit concert is broadcasted live on Channel 5, MeWatch, and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel on October 10 at 7.30pm, with local leading ladies Rebecca Lim and Nurul Aini as your hosts with the most. But don't expect your usual local TV concert either – this one's headlined by Singapore Mandopop darling Stefanie Sun, British singer-songwriter Callum Scott, and next-generation Malaysian girl group DOLLA.
Spotlighting the theme of "Love Connects", the President's Star Charity aims to rally Singaporeans to build a more digitally inclusive society and to empower those in need. To deliver the message, homegrown artist Taufik Batisah will deliver an uplifting rendition of "You Raise Me Up", coupled with an instrumental accompaniment by five young musicians from Beautiful Mind Charity. The theme continues with a catchy cover of the song "I'll Be There", involving four individuals with special needs playing the handbells and celebrity couple Benjamin Kheng and Naomi Yeo on vocals. Popular singer-songwriter Stephen Zechariah will then deliver a stirring performance of "Adi Penne" (Dad's Love).
Other highlights include inspirational collaborations between persons with disabilities and Mediacorp artists as they take on new and unfamiliar skills. Watch Zoe Tay, Star Search 2019 champion Zhang Ze Tong and 15-year-old Jeremiah Liauw in a wheelchair dance performance; and catch Mediacorp celebrities Azura Goh, Joshua Marc and Hong Ling join William Ngo, an individual with special needs, in an interactive canvas painting segment with eCanvas, a voice-controlled device developed by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) to make artistic endeavours accessible to persons with disabilities.
This year's message is all about inclusivity and the saying 'no man left behind'. To illustrate that, PSC 2021 will also be initiating a national 'sign-along' to the PSC theme song "Believe" to drive support for the vulnerable communities backed by the President's Challenge. Show your support by viewing the instructional video by the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) on mediacorp.sg/psc2021 and Mediacorp social media channels, and uploading your video clips to TikTok, Instagram and Facebook to spread the message.
You can also donate to this year's President's Star Charity in any preferred amount starting from today by using your bank apps to scan a PayNow QR code available on mediacorp.sg/psc2021 and flashed onscreen during the show, or through giving.sg/psc2021. Proceeds will go towards 93 agencies supported by the President’s Challenge, including Beautiful Mind Charity, Care Corner Seniors Services, and the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS). For more information, visit presidentschallenge.gov.sg.