This year's President's Star Charity show has raised $10,423,381 as at Sunday night, said its organiser Mediacorp. The sum is close to the record $10,471,294 raised in last year's show.
The charity concert is an annual fund-raiser by Mediacorp under the President's Challenge, a yearly campaign started in 2000 by then President S R Nathan to support the social service sector.
This year's show, televised live on Sunday, was held without a live audience for the first time, owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Themed Believe You Can, the show was hosted by Diana Ser and Fauzie Laily. It included performances by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi, who won the Best New Artist accolade at this year's Brit Awards, and Indonesian singer Rossa.
It also featured the debut performance of Believe, the theme song written to mark two decades of the President's Challenge. The song was penned by Singaporean singer-songwriters Jarrell Huang and JJ Neo.
Other highlights of the show included a tile-painting segment by President Halimah Yacob, who was guest of honour, alongside Mediacorp artists and Mr Saifudeen Abdul Salim, a 23-year-old aspiring motivational speaker who has muscular dystrophy.
Madam Halimah said: "For this year's President's Challenge, the focus is on empowering people with disabilities so that they can also contribute to society.
Urging Singaporeans to support the President's Challenge cause, she said: "Please open your hearts - that's the most important thing - and open your support to pave the way for society to be supportive and inclusive of one another."
She added that next year's President's Challenge theme will focus on building an inclusive digital society. "We will support programmes and initiatives that will help our vulnerable communities to access digital tools, connectivity and skills."
Members of the public can still donate to President's Star Charity 2020 till 11.59pm this coming Sunday - via PayNow Unique Entity Number T08GB0034KDB1 or at this website.
All proceeds will aid the 72 agencies backed by the President's Challenge, such as Beautiful Mind Charity, an agency dedicated to serving those with disabilities, and the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore.
