Balestier heritage race raises S$10,000 for nursing home

SINGAPORE – Balestier is more than just home to delicious local fare and has a rich heritage that Singaporeans should know about.

With that objective in mind, Miss Yeoh Siew Hoon, the founder and editor of online portal for travel industry professionals WIT, today (June 12) co-organised with two hotels - Ramada Singapore and Days Hotel, both at Zhongshan Park - a “heritage race” for charity in the area, which she felt was lesser known for its heritage, compared to other older estates such as Queenstown or Tiong Bahru.

One of the stops along the 3-km race was the Former Shaw Malay Studio, at Jalan Ampas, used mainly to produce Malay films from the 1940s till 1967 when it shut down. Usually closed to the public, the 147 race participants had a rare glimpse into the facility.

In all, the race features 20 check points based on the Balestier Heritage Trail created by the National Heritage Board. It raised S$10,000 which will go to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.

Ms Yeoh said while there were no immediate plans to hold similar races in other estates, she was hopeful that the concept could be replicated in various neighbourhoods, or even in various cities around the world.