A community-based initiative to grow 150 ,000 trees over the next 5 years aligned with Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 goal of planting 1 million trees more.
Embargoed until 1.30pm on 24 June 2022
Singapore, 24 June 2022...In support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Circus Maximus International has embarked on a community-focused initiative - Target15.SG - to plant and nurture 150,000 trees over the next five years to complement the national goal of 1 million more trees by 2030.
Target15.SG was created in response to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal 15– Life on Land. It fulfils the three critical aspects of sustainability – Planet , People and Preservation - in line with the UNSDG15 goal to ‘Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.’
As part of this initiative, Target15.SG will launch its `Hold A Hand – Dance to the Drumstick’ program on 24 June at St Patrick’s Secondary School from 11.30am – 1.30 pm.
This event will be officiated by Mr. Edwin Tong Chun Fai, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister of Law and Adviser to Marine Parade GRC – GROs Joo Chiat
The ‘Hold A Hand’ program marks the start of a partnership together with the Rotary Club of Singapore and St Patrick’s Secondary School in support of PPIS (Singapore Muslim Women’s Association).
A germination program is introduced to students providing a hands-on experience and includes planting of seeds, nurturing of seedlings and saplings, fertilizing and composting.
Beyond tree planting , it teaches children the fundamentals of nurturing and caring for the plants and it also serves to impart life qualities and values such as patience, mindfulness, kindness, responsibility and self-esteem whilst helping to enrich the lives of the underserved and under privileged communities.
“We are honoured to be part of this collaborative effort with Target15.SG. This green initiative will enable our boys to learn to respect the environment. As they water the plants and nurture the saplings, they will understand what it means to be eco stewards. We hope these habits will follow through in their lives and see them become climate action heroes. They will also realize that team work will make this dream work ” said Mark Minjoot, Principal, St Patrick’s Secondary School.
Edward Kent, Target15.SG Founder and Managing Director of Circus Maximus, commented “By working hand in hand with these children and other communities, we can do more as a responsible member of society and engage them to do their part for the betterment of the planet in a meaningful way.”
A total of 1300 trees from 16 species including 500 Moringa trees have been planted in the School since the early part of the year. Target15.SG has pledged to donate $30.00 per viable tree harvested to St Patrick’s School.
PPIS will also receive $20 in for each Moringa tree harvested from St Patrick’ s Secondary School over a period of two years. The funds raised will be used to support PPIS’ various programs for women, families and children.
CEO of PPIS, Madam Tuminah Sapawi, remarked “We are honoured to be one of the beneficiaries for the Hold a Hand project and are glad to see the different community partners coming together to build a community of support. The funds raised will go a long way in supporting PPIS’ work to inspire women and strengthen families such as the 7oaks Student Care, a centre that supports children aged 7 to 14 years old who do not have before or after school care arrangements. We deeply thank Target15 for this initiative and look forward to a successful partnership.”
Donations will also be made to the following charities and organizations, SDI Academy, It’s Raining Raincoats , Pertapis, Woodbridge Hospital Charity Fund, Limitless, Yellow Ribbon SG and Children’s Wishing Well.
The Rotary Club of Singapore, currently helmed by President Louis Lim, has pledged $250.00 to underwrite the cost of each Moringa tree at St Patrick s School. Upon harvest, these trees will be donated to the migrant communities and planted at dormitories around Singapore. The first 100 Moringa Trees will be donated on 24 June.
President of The Rotary Club of Singapore, Louis Lim remarked, “Besides doing our community service, we are doing our part to make the environment safe and sustainable for the benefit of human lives. We are excited to partner Target15.Sg and St Patrick’s Secondary in this project. Youth are an important focus of our programs and we are thrilled that PPIS will be the beneficiary of the Hold A Hand project.”
Target15.sg aims to collaborate with a total of 28 schools in the North, South, East and West of Singapore as part of its mission to plant and nurture 150,000 trees in the next 5 years.
Additional Community Outreach
Beyond supporting the national efforts for the environment / to grow a million trees, volunteers from both the Rotary Club Singapore and Target15.SG will be joining St Patrick’s School in their Community Outreach Programs within the Eastern District on 1 July 2022
1. Caring Commuters Champions (Sec 1s) – in partnership with LTA where students will reach out to public transport commuters through face-to-face interaction on the East-West and Circle lines to spread the message of kindness and graciousness.
2. Climate Action Heroes (Sec 2s) – in partnership with NParks and Marine Stewards Limited for students to be actively engaged in and learn to appreciate the importance of beach
conservation and caring for the common spaces through activities like beach cleaning, tree
planting and sustainable fishing.
3. Intergenerational Companions (Sec 3s) – students play a part for the elderly in the community through cleaning the homes of 20 seniors living in Marine Terrace and by engaging them in the process, we hope for the students to appreciate the importance of intergenerational interactions.
To be a part of the fund-raising program, please visit our website at www.target15.sg or email to kelvin@circusmax.com
For more information on Target15.SG and Hold A Hand, watch this video
For images, download here.
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Media Contacts:
Kelvin Wee
Commercial Director, Target15.Sg
M: 91061140/E: kelvin@circusmax.com
Selena Oh
M:96224890/E: Selena@writesel.com
About Circus Maximus
Since 1998, Circus Maximus has helped organizations win over audiences with events that build the connections to help clients and stakeholders thrive.
Target15.sg is the agency’s first initiative in environmental sustainability with the primary aim of collaborating with different community partners to tackle the effects of climate change and to reduce our carbon footprint whilst also serving the under privilege and under-served communities.
About St Patrick’s Secondary School
St. Patrick's School, founded in 1933, is a Catholic school for boys in the tradition of St. John Baptist de Lasalle. Our programs are designed based on Boy-Centric educational principles.
Each boy is encouraged to realize his potential in an environment that stimulates passion for learning and inspires compassion for others. The school motto "Potest Qui Vult" ("He who wills, can") is a rallying call for all students to respond with courage and resilience in the face of challenges and adversity.
Through a broad and inclusive curriculum that provides for spiritual, intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development, St. Patrick's School strives to mould fine young men to achieve fulfilling lives, here and after graduation, to be lifelong learners, and to make a difference in the world.
About The Rotary Club of Singapore
The year 1930 saw the Rotary flame kindle in Singapore. On June 6, 75 leading members of the community representing 20 different nationalities met at Raffles Hotel to inaugurate the first Rotary Club in Singapore. The flame was fanned by the visions of men like James W. Davidson, Lim Bock Kee and the founding President, Dato (Sir) Roland Braddell. The Board of Directors immediately set high standards for future Boards by organizing the first Malayan Rotary Club Conference in December 1930. Six months after its inauguration, the Club received its Charter under which it operates as Club No. 3360 on the roll of Rotary International.
By 1939, membership had risen to 148 and the Singapore Rotary was the most cosmopolitan in the world, helping by example, in a small way, to foster the Singapore tradition of a multi-racial community living in peace and harmony.
After the war in 1945, the Club started to function again, growing steadily in number each year making significant contributions to the welfare of the community and in promoting international understanding. By 1952, the Rotary Club of Johore Bahru became a reality through our sponsorship. Then came the Rotary Club of Singapore West in 1960 and the Rotary Club of Singapore East in 1965.
To show that it had not lost its spark and drive, the Club celebrated its Golden Jubilee by fathering the Rotary Club of Raffles City in 1980. In addition, it heralded its 55 years of service by increasing its membership to over 200. Women were finally admitted to the ranks in 1998/99. In 1995, it again sponsored another club, this time in Cambodia, the Rotary Club of Phnom Penh.
Originally, the Rotary Club of Singapore was part of the Rotary district which covered seven countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. After the Vietnam War, the District was narrowed down to Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. Subsequently, Thailand became a new District, and later, our current District 3310 was formed with Singapore, Johore, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan, and Brunei.
Membership went below 150 pre COVID but from 2020 till now membership increased and currentlystands at slightly above 200 members.
The Rotary Club of Singapore is now a great grandfather Club but it is still full of vigour and is ever dedicated to the principles and ideals of Rotary which is Service Above Self.
About PPIS
Founded in 1952, PPIS (Singapore Muslim Women’s Association) is a non-profit organisation focused on services for women, family and children. Our focus is on working with women of all ages in carrying out their multiple roles in society. PPIS runs three core community services namely; Family Services, Student Care and Early Childhood Education (ECE). The services work together to provide quality and holistic support as well as developmental programmes for women and their families across the different phases of their lives.
For more information, please visit: https://ppis.sg/
How does Target15.SG work?
Target15.SG adopts a four-pronged approach strategy:
1. Patrons are encouraged to make financial contributions towards the sponsorship of trees. This provides a positive impact by financially facilitating a unique and sustainable initiative that benefits multiple segments of society in meaningful ways. Sponsorship fee of each tree starts from $188 per tree.
2. Schools cultivate seedlings to tree saplings from over 30 different species for six months before relocating the trees to a community beneficiary site or to the Patron’s site. As enablers, schools and students provide nurturing and care for a tree from seedling to a sapling and at the same time, receive valuable lessons in critical life skills such as patience, mindfulness, kindness, responsibility and self-esteem. Each enabling school also receives S$30 in pledged amount per viable sapling nurtured.
3. Beneficiary sites from all segments of the community such as Town Councils, Government
Agencies, religious institutions, hospitals/nursing homes, and government/property owners get to enjoy the fruits of the labor by offering their premises for the transplanted saplings.
4. Five selected charities/non-profit social organizations receive a donation for each tree harvested from the schools as part of the financial commitment from Circus Maximus for every tree sponsored by patrons. The amount varies from $2 to $10 per tree.
These organizations are Pertapis, Limitless, Woodbridge Hospital Charity Fund, Yellow Ribbon Singapore and Children’s Wishing Well.