The spirit of Christmas was in the air as the melodious harmonies of the Limkokwing Choir spread warmth and joy to everyone present at the first ever Christmas Charity Bazaar organized by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).
Decked in Santa hats and reindeer antler headbands, the team of staff and students from Limkokwing belted out a number of Christmas favourites such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, Joy To The World, and Feliz Navidad to an appreciative audience.
For most of the choir members, this was a new experience for them as this is the first time that they have sang together in public for a charitable cause, and the talented cast members of the Make A Difference (M.A.D) musical, Uding Luhat, Sharon Lugun and Dayna Hazime, were definitely the stars of the night as they wowed the crowd with their singing prowess and amazing stage presence.
Mercy Okoko Chinonso, an international student from Nigeria who is currently undergoing her degree in Business Information Systems, exclaimed that this was an especially exciting experience for her, as she had never participated in choir groups before. ‘While I used to sing with my family members back home in Nigeria every Christmas, we never went out to sing for an audience before,’ she said.
‘Although it was a bit nerve-wrecking for me to stand on stage and sing, I decided that this was a small challenge for bringing the Christmas spirit and joy to everyone around me. The fact that we are doing this for charity makes it even more special!’
Diploma in Mass Communications student, Barnaby Joel Chiew, shared similar sentiments with Mercy, as he immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of this project.
‘As an avid animal lover, when I heard that the college was planning on this presentation for the SSPCA, I knew that I had to be part of this before I go back to the United Kingdom for Christmas,’ he said.
‘I feel that so many people out there don’t know how precious animals are, and how important they are to us as friends and companions. The work that the SSPCA has been doing for these creatures is absolutely commendable and I just wanted to do my part in helping them.’
Apart from the musical presentation by the Limkokwing Choir, Limkokwing Borneo also contributed their artistic talents to the charity bazaar. Students and staff members opened a booth offering face and body painting, themed ‘Coolest Cats and Dogs’. All the designs presented had an emphasis on animal and insect motifs, highlighting the nature of the event further.
Helena Goh, Year Leader from the Faculty of Interior Design, stated that this was not the first time Limkokwing Borneo has worked together with SSPCA. ‘We have always maintained a close working relationship with the SSPCA and have even helped them to clean up and repair the damages to the kennels and cages which resulted from the heavy rains and flooding to the SSPCA center earlier this year.’
‘We are also currently working on a mural for the SSPCA, as our students have indicated that they would want to take on more projects that could raise awareness on the importance of giving to charity in whatever way they can. It’s great seeing our students taking such a proactive role towards contributing to charity, and is definitely something that we at Limkokwing strongly encourage,’ she added.