📅 Date: 12 April 2026
⏰Time: 9AM to 9PM
📍Venue: Lam Ann Association, Singapore
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lam Ann Association, the Respect the Old and Cherish the Young event brings together elderly participants from diverse cultural backgrounds to share a meal. The event aims to transcend cultural differences, conveying the traditional Chinese virtue of respecting and caring for elders through warmth and companionship, while fostering community harmony and inclusion. One meal, one gesture of care—this event not only expresses sincere attention to the elderly but also reflects the Association’s century-long commitment to Singapore, its dedication to social responsibility, and its efforts to uphold the spirit of “Respect the elders of your own family and extend that respect to the elders of others.” Through these heartfelt interactions, the centennial celebration is made meaningful and memorable.
8:45am: Opening Ceremony
9:40 am: Welcome Address by Mr. Neo Kah Kiat (BBM) Chairman of Singapore Lam Ann Association
9:45 am: Address by Guest of Honour- Mr.Eric Chua Swee Leong, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Ministry of Law
10:00am-9:00pm: Stage Performances
On the morning of 12 April at 8.30am, amidst an enthusiastic countdown led by attendees, 100 invited guests gathered in front of the Nan Ann Association Building for a unique mass ribbon-cutting ceremony. Witnessed jointly by Guest-of-Honour Senior Parliamentary Secretary Tan Kiat How and Association President Leong Kai Kit, the ceremony officially marked the opening of the Respect the Old and Cherish the Young Charity Food Festival.
The food festival welcomed senior citizens from 97 constituencies and 20 charitable organisations across Singapore, alongside members from 238 clan and cultural associations, to take part in this 12-hour celebration. Members of the Association and their families were also invited, while Singaporeans with ancestral roots in Nan’an, as well as seniors aged 60 and above from all communities, were encouraged through social media outreach to join in commemorating the Association’s centenary milestone. Beyond the festivities, the event also promoted the values of caring for and respecting the elderly, while fostering a spirit of social harmony within the community.
More than 100 booths were set up at the festival to symbolise the Association’s 100-year milestone, offering over 300 varieties of food and setting a record in the Singapore Book of Records. On stage, from 9am to 9pm, numerous singers performed 100 classic evergreen songs for the senior attendees, drawing warm applause and enthusiastic responses from the crowd throughout the day.
The festival attracted close to 10,000 attendees and concluded successfully in a joyous atmosphere, accompanied by the familiar tune of Tomorrow Will Be Better.
