A TREErific Christmas to mark one year to the 8th ASEAN Para Games

A TREErific Christmas to mark one year to the 8th ASEAN Para Games

Event also presents opportunities for Team Singapore para-athletes and members of the community to come together to build a shared identity as one team

With one year to go to the 8th ASEAN Para Games which will be held in Singapore from 3 to 9 December 2014, organisers of the Games have put together "A TREErific Christmas - Sports Carnival" that will bring together members of the community, corporates and Team Singapore para-athletes together in the spirit of developing a shared identity and a deeper understanding of disability sports.

2. Visitors to the carnival will be given the opportunity to engage in disability sports try outs such as javelin, shooting, bowling and air boccia while at the same time, team up and engage in friendly play with our Team Singapore para-athletes.

Community events to build a shared identity

3. A fun-filled day saw participants from schools and the public enjoy Singapore's first Reindeer Walk-a-Wheelathon as well as a series of carnival games, performances, arts & crafts, face-painting, balloon-sculptin and Christmas caroling.

4. The walk was flagged off by Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Sam Tan.

5. Mr Tan said, "Through sport, we want to build a more inclusive society where empathy is strong in us, and where we value every Singaporean among us. This is the legacy we hope the 8th ASEAN Para Games next year will leave behind. Our para-athletes have shown us how sports can uplift themselves and the nation. Every one of them has a story to tell, and each is an inspiration for us. As we gear up our preparations for the Games next year, I encourage Singaporeans to come forward and rally behind our para-athletes as One Team Singapore."

6. "Our sport "Vision 2030" for Singapore speaks about 'Sport without Boundaries', where everyone will have access and opportunities to live better through sport, regardless of ability of circumstances. The 8th ASEAN Para Games that we are hosting for the first time will provide us with a wonderful occasion and opportunity to bring these aspirations to life," said Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chairman, Executive Committee, Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (SAPGOC).

7. He adds, "The TREErific Christmas carnival is a creative way of marking the one year countdown to the 8th ASEAN Para Games. We hope that this event will be especially memorable for everyone, as we rally together and countdown towards this significant sporting event that wraps up the SG50 event calendar."

8. The Singapore Disability Sports Council's (SDSC) Walk-a-Wheelathon will see participants coming together in an attempt to set a record for the "largest gathering of people wearing reindeer antler headbands" in the Singapore Book of Records. The walk will begin and end at the Singapore Sports Hub and participants will join the disabled athletes as they traverse along the riverbank of Tanjong Rhu.

9. The highlight of the event is the light up of the 8th ASEAN Para Games Christmas tree. In the spirit of involving the disabled community, the three-metre tall Christmas tree comprises LED light cubes, each featuring a specially commissioned artwork from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS).

10. These commissioned pieces symbolise the spirit and abilities of the para-athletes who are pushing their boundaries for sport. Through the 8th ASEAN Para Games Christmas Tree project, it is hoped that everyone will be encouraged to go beyond their own personal boundaries of perception, abilities, attitudes and celebrate the extraordinary together.

11. Says Team Singapore para-sailor Yap Qian Yin, "It is always an honour representing Singapore in international competitions. Come 2015, it will be an even greater honour to be able to represent our country in the ASEAN Para Games that will be held on our home ground. I am mindful that the competition is going to be tough, but with everyone's support, it will help me overcome all obstacles that will be presented during the race and to reach the common goal - that is, to be able to fly the Singapore flag high."

For media enquiries, please contact:

Singapore ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee:
Lynette Lim
Manager, Public Relations
Communications and Engagement Division
Tel: +65 6500 5225
HP: +65 9736 6639
Email: lynette_lim@sport.gov.sg

S. Parameswaran
Assistant Director, Public Relations
Communications and Engagement Division
Tel: +65 6500 5236
HP: +65 9839 1974
Email: parames_seenivasagam@sport.gov.sg

Singapore Disability Sports Council:
Shanise Ho
Executive, Corporate Communications
Tel: +65 6342-6501
HP: +65 9852 0386
Email: shanise.ho@sdsc.org.sg