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Humanity, mascot of CancerStory.com is a bird emitting love, kindness and compassion to all fellowmen, blessing them with good health, peaceful living and everlasting happiness. Being versatile, Humanity can "evolve" into a sculpture, an origami bird and a cartoon character.
Humanity was launched on 30 June 2001 at the Singapore 21 Fair on Active Citizens, The Wonderful World of Volunteers which was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It will take on the tough but challenging role to scout for donations from both corporate and individual sponsors towards any worthy cause helping people living with cancer and children living with childhood diseases.
Humanity kicked-off its first fund raising activity at the Singapore 21 Fair on Active Citizens, encouraging more people to come forward as active citizens by helping out in fund raising activities and bringing out the spirit of caring and giving while putting across the message: Every little kind gesture counts.
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At the Fair, Humanity transformed into a paper bird bearing the patron, NTUC Income's corporate colour and logo and multiplied itself into 500 paper birds. Together with the Guest-of-Honour, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, CEO of NTUC Income Mr Tan Kin Lian and Chairman of Dover Park Hospice Dr Jerry Lim, CancerStory volunteers led the visitors to the Fair into on-the-spot action of folding this paper bird. The visitors were given the paper bird as a keepsake after they had folded it.
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NTUC Income, being our first patron, generously donated $5,000/- to our beneficiary, Dover Park Hospice, i.e. $10/- for every paper bird folded at the Fair.
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Humanity has also 'evolved' into a cartoon character in order to promote the spirit of caring and sharing to young children. It was officially launched at the Reader's Digest Inspiring Heroes Award Ceremony on 13 November 2001 when the founder of CancerStory.com received the Inspiring Singaporean Award from the Guest-Of-Honour, Minister for Health Mr Lim Hng Kiang. On this auspicious occasion, the founder distributed bookmarks bearing the cartoon character of Humanity to all attendees.
This cartoon was designed by Mr Cheng Yew Chung, a respectable cartoonist, who did it free of charge in support of Cancerstory.com.
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| About the sculpture of Humanity |
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When I placed the origami version of Humanity into Seok Tin's hands, she could feel that the bird has broad wings and a sharp beak facing downwards. Seok Tin did not like its beak to face downwards as it gave an impression of downcast feelings. Humanity, she felt, must be vibrant, energetic and versatile in spearheading fund raising initiatives. Therefore she made its beak point upwards while retaining its sharpness to "prowl" for donations or sponsorships in cash or in kind. Seok Tin was more than willing to give us a helping hand towards CancerStory.com charitable cause while receiving a token for her work.
Humanity has a mermaid-like tail for Seok Tin would like it to withstand all challenges, being able to swim in water and fly in the sky. Scouting for sponsorships or donations to help less fortunate people is tough yet fulfilling. In order to "shoulder" and "carry" this heavy responsibility and achieve this important mission, Humanity has a deeply curved body to withstand the weight.
Humanity is painted silver in colour with gold trimmings at the tip of its beak and wings to signify its upright and noble spirit of emitting love, kindness and compassion to our fellow man. My beloved mother, Mdm Goh Kim Kat felt that it is a wonderful gift and blessing from God to be able to give and help others.
It was my idea to have three birds taking flight from a tree in different directions. This represents the three generations that the spirit of Humanity is based on and the continuation of my late mother's spirit of caring and giving by her children and grandchildren in their own ways. Humanity is heading towards all directions against all odds as long as there is an opportunity to help others.
Cancer remains taboo subject in Singapore and most people are uncomfortable talking about it. To overcome the negative thoughts about cancer, I sought help from my friend, Ms Lee Yuh Chin, an experienced Chinese Physician to get a Chinese name for Humanity and write a rhyme based on it. Yuh Chin came up with the name JiXiang with a meaning message blessing all fellow man with good health, peaceful living and everlasting happiness. It also encourages people living with cancer to live positively and gracefully and remain hopeful. This message in Chinese was inscribed onto the tree trunk.
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About the sculptor of Humanity
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Ms Chng Seok Tin is a renowned local printmaker, sculptor and painter. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Hull College of Higher Education, UK and received Master of Arts from New Mexico State University, Las Cruses, USA. She did her post-graduate studies at the University of Iowa, USA.
With a record of 16 solo exhibitions and over 30 group exhibitions to date, her works have travelled around the world to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Australia, USA, Mexico, France and UK.
After an operation to remove a brain abscess in 1988, Seok Tin was left with only 20% of her right vision. However, Seok Tin continues to produce works in no less quantity or quality, drawing from sources of her inner feelings and memories. She has not allowed her impairment to deter her from living the life of an artist.
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w.e.f. 1 Jan 2023.