Highlights of PAYM 35th Anniversary Celebrations
 

This year marked an important milestone for PAYM, we turned 35!  To celebrate this significant year, PAYM, through its Youth Executive Committees (YECs) organised a series of exciting and interesting events to engage the youth.  Here are some highlights of the celebrations…

• PAYM 35th Anniversary Celebration Concert!

The concert held on 29 October 2006 kickstarted the PAYM birthday month celebration and was organised exclusively for PAssion Card members.  Supported by MediaCorp Radio YES933, more than 4,000 audience were wowed by S.H.E, a popular girl-band from Taiwan; Hady Mirza and Jonathan Leong, finalists of the Singapore Idol 2006; and local artistes Kelly Poon , Gong Shi Jia, Zhou Chong Qing and Cai Li Lian.

Joining in this celebration concert were PAYM CYC Panel of Advisers - Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development and Adviser to Admiralty GROs; Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs; Mr Michael Palmer, Adviser to Pasir Ris-Punggol GROs and Mr Tan Boon Huat, Chief Executive Director of People’s Association.  Other GRO Advisers, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC GROs;
Dr Muhammad Faishal Bin Ibrahim Khan Surattee, Adviser to Marine Parade GRC GROs and Dr Lam Pin Min, Adviser to Sengkang West GROs also attended the concert.

• T-Net Club Sports Fiesta

The T-Net Club Sports Fiesta was organised by the eight T-Net Clubs in celebration of its 4th Anniversary as well as the PAYM 35th Anniversary.  Held on 12 November at the Civic Plaza, Ngee Ann City, the event saw more than 800 teenagers pitting their skills against one another in the different categories of the street versions of basketball, soccer and netball.  It also featured Pulse Hip Hop Knock-Out, a national Hip Hop talent hunt organised by the Lifeskills & Lifestyle Division @ PA, PAYM and T-Net Club.  The finalists would get the golden opportunity to be part of the 300-strong Hip Hop team performing at Chingay 2007. 

Adding more fun and excitement to the competitions were the Converse Idol, where youths with the ‘X’ factor from the various competitions walked away with attractive prizes by Converse, the official sponsor of T-Net Club Sports Fiesta.  The Guest-of-Honour was Mr Zainudin Bin Nordin, Mayor of Central Singapore District and Adviser to Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC GROs. 

• PAYM Community Service Appreciation Luncheon

“Love begins at home” – a quote by Mother Theresa

Besides engaging the youths in meaningful, youth-initiated projects and activities, the PAYM also inculcates active citizenry in youths through direct participation in community service projects.  The key lessons youths learnt from such projects are that there will always be the unfortunate and needy, and that the better off must do their part to help the less fortunate and the disadvantaged in society.

A good example of such programmes is the “Free Meal Distribution” organised by the Radin Mas CC Youth Executive Committee (YEC).  Every Sunday since year 2000, some 35 youths and students help clean house, cook and deliver food right to the doorsteps of 50 elderly needy in the Telok Blangah area.  Many more meaningful programmes are organised by the YECs at their respective constituencies.

To acknowledge the efforts of the dedicated YEC members who have contributed and played an important role in helping the less fortunate over the years, an appreciation luncheon was organised on 18 November at Novotel-Clarke Quay Hotel.  Seventeen YECs were featured for their continuous dedicated efforts in community service and were presented with tokens of appreciation by the Guest-of-Honour, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, PBM, Adviser to Canberra GROs.

The YECs at the regional and GRC-levels also organised events to celebrate PAYM 35th Anniversary.  Here are two…

• N.E.X.T Challenge On-Wheels 2006

The North East Region YECs organised the ‘N.E.X.T Challenge On-Wheels 2006’ on Sunday, 23 July 2006.  Participants consisting mainly of working youths zapped around Singapore in their automobiles to places such as Labrador Park, Fort Canning Park, Kranji War Memorial and Bukit Batok Park in search of clues and overcome mentally and physically challenging tasks.  It was an excellent opportunity for these working youths to spend a fun-filled and memorable day rediscovering the island in a totally different way.  What’s more, top winning team received the cash prize of $5,000 from the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. 

• Sembawang GRC Youth Engagement Programme

The youths in Sembawang GRC celebrated Youth Month with a bang this year.  They survived the grueling 35km run at 'Youth-in-Unity run', cheered to the Italians bagging the World Cup Championship 2006 at 'Bridging LIVES', starved for 'FAST for FOOD' and rocked at 'Jamming Up North!!!'.  As part of the Sembawang GRC Youth Engagement Programme (entitled Sembawang-Youth-In-Action), the six YECs from the Sembawang GRC joined forces to organise four events in different weekends of July 2006, in celebration of Youth Month and also to celebrate PAYM 35th Anniversary.

'Youth-In-Unity Run' spearheaded by Canberra CC YEC took place on Sunday, 2 July, in conjunction with the Canberra Family and Sports Carnival.  Guest-of-Honour, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, together with the other 5 MPs for Sembawang GRC, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Dr Mohd Maliki Osman, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, PBM, Mr Shanmugam K and Ms Ellen Lee participated in last 2km of the run, together with some 600 runners and brisk walkers. 

Marsiling CC YEC, in collaboration with Republic Polytechnic, organised “Bridging LIVES” on 9 and 10 July.  This event was organised as part of the efforts to raise funds for the selected voluntary welfare organisation, Project Bridge - a youth centre situated in Woodlands that is specially designed to provide early school leavers aged between 13-19 years old with guidance and direction.  Highlights included a movie marathon and screening of World Cup Finals 2006.

Chong Pang and Ace the Place CC YECs’ 'FAST for FOOD' event was an Alternative Famine, where some 80 participants went without food for 12 hours and participated in activities such as group challenges, car wash fund-raising activities and discussed topics on global issues such as poverty on Saturday, 29 July, 8am to 8pm.

Woodlands and Sembawang CC YECs jointly organised “Jamming Up North!!!” on Saturday evening, 29 July to mark the final leg of the month long celebration, where local bands from the various Youth Groups and schools came together to showcase their talent and woke the town up with their music.