Sands for Singapore Charity Festival Returns From 4-6 August to Connect Communities

A highlight of the Festival is Heartwork: A Community Weaving Studio, where the public will be taught how to weave fabrics using upcycled linens and fabrics sourced from Marina Bay Sands. Through the age-old practice of using a traditional loom to weave the separate fabrics together, colourful tapestries will be formed and sold to raise funds for local artists supported by Art Outreach Singapore, a longstanding non-profit partner organisation of Marina Bay Sands. “Sands for Singapore Charity Festival has been a cornerstone in our efforts to inspire change and drive impact for the underprivileged in Singapore. In addition to soaking in the festivities, we hope that the event inspires more people to step forward, get involved, and make a difference in our community,” said Mr Paul Town, Marina Bay Sands’ Chief Operating Officer.

Since its inception in 2013, the Sands for Singapore Charity Festival has become the signature charity event of Marina Bay Sands and a key component of the integrated resort’s community engagement programme, Sands Cares. To date, over S$31 million has been raised through the Charity Festival for local charitable organisations. For the third year running, APSN, a social service agency that provides special education, vocational training and employment support services for individuals with mild intellectual disability, will return to the Giving Marketplace to showcase the works of its talented adult trainees.

​​​​​​​“The Giving Marketplace provides a remarkable platform to showcase the abilities and talents of our trainees with special needs and offers an excellent opportunity for us to raise awareness about the work APSN does in empowering individuals with special needs to lead independent and fulfilling lives. By participating in the Marketplace, we can connect with potential collaborators, expand our support base, explore opportunities for future partnerships, and raise funds to equip our trainees with the necessary skills required for the workforce,” said Mr Philip Li, Principal Centre Lead, Vocational Training, APSN Centre for Adults.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A total of 16 booths will be hosted by non-profit organisations and social enterprises at the bustling Giving Marketplace, offering a diverse range of lifestyle products, handcrafted works and baked goods for sale. All proceeds generated from these purchases will be retained directly by the participating organisations to support their communities. APSN will offer a range of items from baked goods to terrariums and painted stones that will showcase the different talents of trainees from their vocational training centre.

Delve into a selection of offerings including books and lifestyle items from the Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS), which promotes the creative abilities of individuals with muscular dystrophy. Image Mission, a charity that empowers women through economic independence, will also be returning with the sale of preloved clothes. Proceeds will go towards funding the activities for women in need.

Other meticulously curated items offered at the Giving Marketplace include hand-bound journals and art pieces personally designed by craftspeople at SPD and crafts created through touch by the visually impaired at the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. Social enterprise Tea Ideas will be selling its signature Ultra Rich Antioxidant Tea, while Hey! Chips are set to satiate the munchies with an assortment of fruit and vegetable crips, made with simple plant-based ingredients and are 100 per cent natural.

Visitors can treat their tastebuds to a spectacular array of gourmet treats and beverages from three of Marina Bay Sands’ signature restaurants throughout the Festival, specially priced for everyone to indulge and play a part in charity at the same time. In celebration of the Lion City’s most treasured flavours, Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, RISE and Yardbird Southern Table & Bar will be presenting a creative spin on local favourites in addition to their all-time signature dishes.

Fans of Black Tap can look forward to the over-the-top Singapore-exclusive National Day CrazyShake.Decked in the patriotic colours of the Singapore flag, the pastel pink-hued bandung CrazyShake® comes with a vanilla frosted rim cup with red and white star sprinkles, a red and white cake slice, crescent icing cookie and cherry to sweeten the celebrations. Black Tap will also be serving selected crowd favourites from its regular menus, such as the classic craft All-American burger, crispy chicken sandwich and Impossible All-American, tantalising fried mozzarella sticks and Korean wings, and classic milkshakes and an array of bottled craft beers.

Meanwhile, RISE is inviting all to trace the multicultural make-up of Singapore through its variety of classic local hawker fare, from satay (grilled meat skewers), ngoh hiang (deep fried pork and water chestnut roll) and kathi roll (Indian bread wrapped with sweet peppers and onions), to sweet treats like kueh ayu puteri (mini pandan sponge cakes with coconut). Finally, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar will be satiating locals’ love for spice with the power-packed mala x reaper fried chicken, a fiery spin on Yardbird’s famous 27-hour brined fried chicken.

It is brushed with a special chilli rub comprising Szechuan peppercorns and smoked Carolina reaper, known to be one of the spiciest chilli peppers in the world with a score of over two million Scoville heat units, and complemented with cool ranch cucumber dip. Feast on other classic American indulgences ranging from Yardbird’s smoked brisket ‘slider’ and ginormous mac & cheese croquette, to light bites like Angus beef chilli fries and corn in cup “elote”, and pair them with locally brewed bottled beers or Yardbird’s signature Blackberry bourbon lemonade, a refreshing cocktail starring Kentucky's Buffalo Trace bourbon.