10,000 reasons to be thankful

As part of SG50 and its 10^th Anniversary celebrations, Singapore Youth Award 2014 winner Uni-Y Singapore created a mural with the largest collection of reasons that people are thankful for. Comprising 10,000 coasters filled with messages of thanks and gratitude, the 21 meter by 2 meter, double-sided mural was unveiled at Gardens by the Bay on 25 July 2015. The feat earned Uni-Y Singapore a place in the Singapore Book of Records.

The mural is the culmination of the #10kful campaign which began in January 2015 to collect 10,000 Reasons to be featured on the artwork. The mural display was a part of YMCA Proms @ the Park this year, an annual community service programme organised by YMCA of Singapore to promote corporate volunteerism. Corporate volunteers spent a day befriending beneficiaries from various VWOs over a picnic and concert in a carnival-like setting. Dr Lily Neo, Member of Parliament, graced the event and put the finishing touches to the mural.

As Singapore celebrates its 50^th year of independence and nationhood, a remarkable achievement for a tiny and vulnerable country, Uni-Y hoped to inculcate the spirit of gratitude and positivity amongst youth and Singaporeans by getting them to reflect and share about all the things which they are thankful for, as individuals and as citizens of our young and successful nation.

Ms Chen Siru, Chairperson, Council of Uni-Y Singapore said, “The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team played a pivotal role in leading our pioneer generation to transform Singapore from a small island country into a respected and prosperous nation on the world stage today. These accomplishments and successes did not come easy, and as Singaporeans, we strongly believe that it is important to not take what our forebearers have built up for granted, but to be thankful for what the nation is today, and all that we have.”

To collect the 10,000 reasons, Uni-Y embarked on a social media campaign with the #10kful hashtag to encourage people to submit their reasons to be thankful. Volunteers also spoke to family and friends and even went the extra mile to inspire strangers on the street to contribute.

The previous record for highest number of coasters used to produce a mural stands at 1,118.