Photos by Donn Tan
Looking at the relentless rain and a field of muddy grass, it was probably not the best evening to be hanging out at the SMU Campus Green. But despite the weather, it was a night of entertainment and cheer as more than a dozen well-known local artistes and their supporters gathered for the In Her Shoes – Art & Music Against Cancer concert.
Founded by actor and entrepreneur Simon Wong in 2009 after his wife Pei Kie passed away fighting stomach cancer, the campaign, now in its third year running, aims to help raise funds and awareness for cancer research.
While volunteers got busy distributing ponchos, some members of the audience armed themselves with umbrellas and laid out picnic mats, determined not to let the rain get their spirits down.
“What it is, underlying everything, is a celebration of life,” said TV presenter and co-host, Anita Kapoor, to cheers from the audience.
A lineup including actress-singer Celest Chong, jazz singer Joanna Dong and songwriter Kathryn Wong, entertained the crowd with familiar hits. Funnyman Neil Humphreys also brought the night to a new high where he aced a series of challenges which were part of a “charity treasure hunt”. Humphreys even managed to invite some 50 random people on stage, where they performed an impromptu dance to the international hit song “Gangnam Style”.
Singapore’s well-loved musical duo Jack Ho and Rai Kannu, also known as Jack&Rai, strummed their guitars and swooned the audience with their take on hits like Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up”.
“We’ve lost a few musician friends to cancer and it cannot get sadder than that,” said Ho. “We’ve got to take the first step forward and be proactive about supporting cancer research.”
ShiGGa Shay, a Singaporean rap artist, songwriter and producer, shared how he lost his dad to cancer three years ago.
“I’ve always wanted to help out in whatever way I can in the fight against cancer,” said the rapper, who is performing for the second year running. “It has been a great honor to be taking part in this.”
Other acts include a special song tribute by singer Dawn Wong, performed to celebrate the life of long-time volunteer photographer Gary Ong, who passed away recently after battling stomach cancer.
Rounding up the concert was a duet performed by Dong and artist Marcel Heijnen. The lyrics to the song “Sing Me To Sleep”, was written from conversations that Simon Wong had with his late wife in his dreams.
Student volunteer Charis Lim said: “It was amazing meeting people who shared a passion and were actively doing something about it. I’m glad I got a chance to be part of this movement.”
Missed the event but still want to do something? You can still donate to the beneficiary for InHerShoes 2012, the National Cancer Centre Singapore, at the SG Gives site.
This article first appeared as part of the original Be An Idea content platform on social impact. While Be An Idea has evolved into something different, we still respect our roots in social impact and have archived this article under the category Be An Idea Magazine.