S'poreans in US Plan Event to Showcase Garden City in Celebration of SG60

Held in San Francisco Bay Area, it will feature themed rooms, performances, S'porean food

- Angelica Ang

Ms Joy Chee sat on a bench facing Gardens by the Bay's Supertrees, her sketchbook and pen in hand. With furrowed brows and unwavering focus, she recreated the towering structures stroke by stroke.

The 19-year-old, a second-year computer animation student at the Ringling College of Art and Design in the US state of Florida, is part of a team of overseas Singaporeans hoping to commemorate the Republic's 60th birthday by recreating a slice of it abroad.

Their event, themed A Legacy of 60 Years, will take place on Sept 21 in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is being organised by a team of volunteers from SingaporeConnect, a non-profit organisation that hosts social and cultural events for Singaporeans residing in the Bay Area.

First conceptualised in October 2024, the one-day celebration will be open to Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans alike, said Mr Richard Chan, 52, one of the event's co-chairs.

With a core team of 11 people, this event is SingaporeConnect's most ambitious yet, said Mr Chan, with a projected attendee size of 3,000, and a volunteer pool of 100 to 150.

"This event will be a good opportunity to showcase what Singapore looks like, and who Singaporeans are," said Mrs Tabitha Chee, 54, Ms Chee's mother and the other event chairperson. Mrs Chee currently works as a human resource associate at a church.

The Chees were speaking to The Sunday Times while they were in Singapore on a trip to gather archival images and other materials for the exhibition.

SingaporeConnect is also working with the Singapore Global Network (SGN) to obtain funding for the event. SGN did not reveal the amount of funding granted to SingaporeConnect, citing confidentiality reasons.