Hubert Tang

A Swing For Hope

On the Friday afternoon of 24th September, the inaugural NKF Charity Golf 2021 saw 26 flights of more than a hundred golfers finally able to swing for hope raising over $590,000, which included a dollar-for-dollar match from Toteboard.

Postponed once due to the Phase 2 Heightened Alert, it was late September when with safe management measures in place, participants teed-off for a good cause under scheduled timings at the Tampines Course of Tanah Merah Country Club.

The past 10 years has seen an approximate 60% increase with 5.5 new kidney failure patients being diagnosed every day. In light of the rising number in Singapore, and with many patients facing greater psychosocial and economic burdens due to the Covid-19 situation, the National Kidney Foundation saw that it was vital for fundrai

sing efforts to be able to continue uninterrupted. The financial burden on NKF is a heavy one with $116 million spent during the last financial year to treat and care for kidney patients.

With restrictions placed on social gatherings due to the pandemic, NKF considered the golf event a good fundraising initiative that is able to keep within the safety guidelines, ensuring the safety of guests while they enjoyed a day of golf and contributed charitably at the same time. This first charity golf event has enabled NKF to reach out to a wider and different audience to share more about the foundation that gives life and hope to kidney patients.

In a symbolic tee off to launch the inaugural event, were Mr Arthur Lang (Chairman), Mr Tim Oei (CEO), Mr Benjamin Lee (Board Of Director, Chairman of Fundraising Committee) and Mr Chris Chiu (Organising Chairman of Charity Golf and Committee Member of Fundraising Committee) of the NKF.

The round then got underway with golfers swinging under the new normal to give life and hope to many more kidney failure patients in need. While doing their part to create a greater impact in the community, guests were served food and beverage on course that included hot food from a live station and wines at the halfway house.

Keeping their interest during the game were two novelty holes where golfers participated in activities to win a mystery gift. The highlight of the round that captured many a golfer’s imagination must have been the two Hole-in-Ones of an Audi Q5 sponsored by Audi, and the Chairman Reserve membership at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove sponsored by the SUTL group.