Dover Park Hospice raised over $1 million at its first virtual Sunflower Charity Dinner

Here’s some good news to brighten up your day in these gloomy times. On 18 September 2020, Dover Park Hospice collected more than $1 million dollars at its first-ever virtual charity dinner.

Donations came from the 250-odd attendees, which included Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat as Guest-of-Honour and patron of the hospice and former president Dr Tony Tan. Themed “Sweet Summer Nights”, the charity dinner was hosted by “Dim Sum Dolly” and GOLD 905 Radio DJ Denise Tan, who opened the virtual event with a skit.

Guests were also treated to a delightful performance Dover Park Hospice’s own GEMS Show Choir and sumptuous food by Michelin-starred establishments Odette, Alma by Juan Amador, Wild Rocket by Chef Wilin Low, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, and The Fullerton Hotel. Entertainment aside, organisers held a silent auction for a bottle of rare Hennessy Paradis Imperial, three paintings, and a ceramic bowl. The evening ended with a raffle draw, where winners received hampers worth up to $520 from Nila Aromatherapy Bar.

“Singaporeans have come together to support the vulnerable among us, including our seniors and children from lower-income families,” says DPM Heng in his address at the charity dinner. “Some donated their Solidarity Payment to causes they care about. This is the spirit of the Singapore Together movement, where everyone steps forward to play his or her part, strengthening our collective resolve to overcome this crisis.”

Founded in 1992, Dover Park Hospice is Singapore’s first purpose-built hospice, providing safe, holistic and quality palliative care that spans medical, emotional, social and spiritual support. As a secular, non-profit organisation, it relies on philanthropic donations to help subsidise costs for patients in the hospice, home care and day care. In January, the hospice integrated Programme Dignity, Singapore’s first palliative home care programme for terminally-ill patients with advanced dementia, which is offered at no costs. Dover Park Hospice has also expanded its home care services with Programme IMPACT (short for Programme of Integrated Management and Palliative Care for the Terminally Ill Non-Cancer Patients) in partnership with Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which caters to patients with end-stage organ failure.

“Though these are certainly very challenging times, we remain steadfast in providing the best care for our patients and caregivers in the new normal,” says Dr Jeremy Lin in his welcome address at the charity dinner. “We will have to be more innovative and transform the way we operate. We are excited about our move to our new facility at the Integrated Care Hub in 2022 as we ramp up our resources and infrastructure to serve twice as many patients.”

To further support of Dover Park Hospice, visit its Giving.sg page or contact Dover Park Hospice via email.