• Week of Giving

WHAT IS IT?

The PACE Fundraiser took on a new format in 2020 with the Week of Giving, due to the COVID restrictions in Singapore. Given, we were unable to organise an in-person event, the fundraising team pivoted to a hugely successful online event called The “Week of Giving”. 

The Week took place in the run-up to the December holidays and focused on the theme “When You Give, You Get”. 

Donors could purchase a present to receive themselves or to gift to someone else. 

The following week, during the “Week of Getting”, presents were delivered door to door by PACE volunteers to over 200 donors raising more than $80,000 to support our scholarships and food programs. 

I have loved being part of the fundraising team and and am blown away by the generosity of the UWCSEA community and volunteers who make our fundraising events happen.

It’s been a privilege to work with such a dedicated team and the generous UWC Community to raise funds for PACE’s education initiatives.

From my personal experience, the lack of a shared spoken language, as most patients speak Chinese, creates an initially awkward and intimidating experience. But I always encourage others to persevere and forge this effort into a commitment. Speaking of commitment, several parents of alumni continue to visit when they are in town and/or are available. Some of us may not speak the same language but the personal relationships/connections forged are strong and very much evident. Without fail, the patients happily greet the volunteers when they arrive. Some give us big smiles. We get high fives. And there is that one patient who is quick to show you a note to inform you that she cannot speak nor hear before she proceeds to eagerly squeeze your hands and touch your face. This is the only way for her to express her enthusiasm and this is her way of thanking us. It is always such a heartwarming experience.

I stumbled on PACE almost incidentally, as I came across a note advertising a volunteer trip to the science museum with people from the HCA Hospice. During the trip, not only did I get to meet mums from both campuses, but really enjoyed interacting with the excited patients at the museum. This trip marks the beginning of my journey with PACE and the HCA Hospice. Since then I have been going regularly to the HCA Hospice to meet patients once or twice a week. Being a westerner, I did sometimes struggle to communicate with them due to the language barrier, as most of them don’t speak English, however, I easily overcame this by using facial expressions and hand gestures, and in addition, the nurses were very helpful in lending a hand.

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