A TOTAL of 78 decorated Christmas trees were lit up along the Marina Bay Waterfront on Tuesday (November 19) for ChariTrees, which returned this year for its biggest display yet.

Complementing the exhibition were miniature garden landscapes, a signature large tree, music from the Singapore Police Force Quintet and performances by The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) recipients. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung was the guest of honour.

This year’s 14th edition of ChariTrees raised nearly $1.2 million for four beneficiary groups—a new record since its inception in 2011, when it had 25 trees and raised about $100,000.

Three of the beneficiary groups are the same as last year: BT BAF, SPD and Samaritans of Singapore. The Kidney Dialysis Foundation is the new ChariTree beneficiary this year.

Funds raised will go towards supporting disadvantaged children and youth through art with BT BAF, uplifting disabled people with SPD, increasing suicide prevention efforts through Samaritans of Singapore and providing essential support to end-stage kidney patients through the Dialysis Foundation renal.

Tan Puay Kern, chairman of the ChariTrees 2024 organizing committee, said this year’s Blossom of Hope theme “gives hope to (our) beneficiaries”. He added that he wants to “build on the legacy of ChariTrees.”

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ChariTrees is an annual event that is managed and organized by the Global Cultural Alliance, a wholly owned subsidiary of the non-profit arts and culture charity TRCL.

TRCL administers BT BAF, which provides financially disadvantaged children and youth with opportunities in the arts.

SPD is a charity that enables people with disabilities to live independently and provides therapy, early intervention, employment, education and social support.

Samaritans of Singapore is a non-profit suicide prevention center that works on prevention, intervention and postvention (suicide intervention for loved ones) efforts.

The Kidney Dialysis Foundation is a charity that supports end-stage kidney patients in the lowest 10% income group in Singapore with a monthly per capita income of US$1,200 or less. It subsidizes dialysis treatments with $2,500 per month for its beneficiaries.

Last year, ChariTrees raised over $705,000. The year before, it raised nearly $600,000.

Donations for beneficiary groups remain open to the public through giving.sg.