As familiar Lunar New Year tunes filled the air, 123 Primary 4 to 6 students of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' Primary School (PLMGS) played host to 91 elderly of TOUCH Senior Activity Centre (TSAC) at the Lunar New Year Reunion Lunch held at the school’s main hall.
Having signed up voluntarily to host the lunch for the seniors, the young students dutifully portioned the food onto the plates of the seniors they were seated with and chatted with them in a heartening display of intergenerational bonding. The girls and the seniors also participated in table games like puzzles and “spot the difference” where they had to work together to complete the tasks within a given time.
Besides the sumptuous eight-course meal, the seniors were also treated to an array of student performances such as upbeat song and dance items, impressive rhythmic gymnastics routines and a Mandarin cross talk segment. Also eager to do their part to keep the seniors engaged were the teachers who got the seniors joining them in a fun-filled Chair-obics segment. The event ended with a bang when some of the seniors took the stage to perform a dance item which got the students cheering and dancing along downstage.
Hugs between the seniors and young students ensued as the students bade their elderly guests and new-found friends farewell with mandarin oranges and red packets each filled with $28 from a school-wide Lunar New Year fundraiser which resulted in a $16,385 donation to TSAC to benefit its elderly clients through meaningful programmes and activities.
Says Ms Julia Lee, Director of TSAC, “PLMGS has been a close partner of TOUCH for the last five years and its efforts are truly an embodiment of one of TOUCH’s visions – to nurture Caring Generations. I am heartened to see the young girls serving our seniors with so much enthusiasm and respect everytime we meet. TOUCH certainly looks forward to many more years of partnership with PLMGS.”