938LIVE Channel NewsAsia 17 Mar 09;
SINGAPORE: Small acts add up to big leaps and with this in mind Singapore is embarking on a challenge to do a million deeds.
Organised as part of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games movement, the event aims to celebrate the spirit of excellence, friendship and respect.
Singaporeans are encouraged to post their deeds online at http://www.milliondeeds.sg/ so as to share them with others.
The website is designed to resemble a virtual Torch Relay. Every deed posted will move the virtual Youth Olympic flame a step closer from Greece to Singapore.
The idea for the "Million Deeds Challenge" was inspired by students of Holy Innocents' High School who shared their thoughts on how young people could make a positive impact on their community by expressing the Olympic values.
The challenge was launched by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, at the Jurong Regional Library on Tuesday.
- 938LIVE
Show the Olympic spirit, share a good deed
Jonathan Wong, Straits Times 18 Mar 09;
FOR Holy Innocents' High School (HISS) student Erika Sim, setting up a Facebook group was the most natural way to share what the Olympic spirit means to her.
The Secondary 3 student and her schoolmates have posted instances of how everyday acts - such as helping a blind person cross the road and giving up one's seat to pregnant women - embodied the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.
'Not only athletes can be Olympians, the spirit of the Olympics is for everyone,' said Erika, who along with nine schoolmates and four teachers came up with the idea last August.
'And it doesn't have to be big acts, simple deeds also make a difference to people.'
What started out as a school project for a leadership conference is now set to be a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the Olympic movement among Singaporeans.
HISS' simple yet novel idea is the inspiration behind the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Million Deeds Challenge.
The movement and its website were launched yesterday by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, at the Jurong Regional Library.
The Challenge invites anyone - even those outside Singapore - to post their deeds, which should celebrate the Olympic values
