By: Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development. Youth and Sports
At 9.00 am at Boys' Town Singapore
Brother Emmanuel
Advisor & Board Member, Boys' Town
Mrs Irene Loi
Director-General, Boys' Town
Distinguished Guests & Students
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning.
Congratulations to all of you at Boys' Town on your 60th anniversary this year which commemorates six decades of dedicated service to youth and the less fortunate in Singapore. Many lives were indeed touched and changed by the care and services you have provided and the nurturing role you continue to play.
I am delighted to join you at this morning's event to set an unprecedented record for the greatest number of people being piggy-backed across a distance of six metres in a single location.
This record-breaking attempt is in line with the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG for short) as the act of piggy-backing reflects a sense of friendship and solidarity among the participants who will be completing the task together as a group.
''He ain't heavy, he's my brother'' was a popular song recorded by The Hollies in 1969. That song became one of the most defining tunes of that era. It has also become the universal anthem for brotherly love. Similarly, ''He ain't heavy, he's my brother'' also encompasses the brotherly spirit of Boys' Town and reflects the work ethos of the organisation. It is heartening to see that you still embrace the essence of the song and bring alive its spirit in this walk together.
I am proud to be part of this record breaking event with all of you and I am delighted that Boys' Town is playing a part in Singapore's bid for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. I am encouraged by the enthusiastic support of all segments of society, especially all our youth gathered here today.
Piggy-backing and bearing the weight of another person is no easy feat but I am confident that the participants of this event will succeed in completing the task and setting a new record.
As Singapore approaches the final lap of the YOG bid in our effort to connect young Singaporeans with young people across the world, let me once again congratulate Boys' Town for their impressive 60 years of service and partnership with the youth of our society.
Thank you.
MCYS SPEECH NO: 09/2008
DATE OF ISSUE: 15/02/2008