S'pore actress Jeanette Aw raises S$20,000 for Singapore Children's Society to celebrate her 47th birthday

To celebrate her 47th birthday, Singaporean actress Jeanette Aw gave back by holding a fundraiser for the Singapore Children's Society, raising over S$20,000 so far.

The fundraiser included a charity sale of memorabilia from episodes of Aw's YouTube channel, "JA Unscripted".

Along with the charity sale, Aw is also holding an online fundraiser, which runs till the end of July.

Giving back

Announcing the fundraiser, Aw said in a YouTube video that she wanted to use her 47th birthday as an occasion to give back, with the Singapore Children's Society as the beneficiary.

Proceeds from the charity sale and online fundraiser will go towards "supporting Singapore Children's Society and the important work that they do".

Some of the memorabilia showcased include original artworks and a tingkat with a hand-painted floral design.

"If you've been following our episodes on JA Unscripted, you should be able to recognise many of these items and know the moments behind them," Aw said.

Charity sale

Aw shared that since she announced the fundraiser, donations have been pouring in steadily.

Commenting on the setting and scale of the fundraiser, Aw told Shin Min Daily News, "We don't need a lot of people, but people who are willing to participate and donate in the sale."

The charity sale was held in a cosy setting at 50 Niven Road on Jun. 28, between 10am and 2pm.

Fellow actress and fans shows support

Fellow actress Seow Sin Nee, who shared the screen with Aw in local drama "Highway to Somewhere", was spotted at the charity sale, Shin Min reported.

She took home a purse for S$300.

Seow also gave Aw a bottle of Japanese sake as a birthday gift.

Seow told Shin Min that she decided to come show her support after learning that Aw was holding a charity sale.

"I scrolled through Instagram and saw the mustard-yellow purse. I'm glad to be able to contribute to the cause while also taking home something I liked," Seow commented.

The highest-priced item during the sale was a S$3,000 luxury bag, which was bought by a fan as a gift for his wife.

Apart from that, the fan, Ma Jia Wei (transliteration), also took home Aw's Japan-exclusive picture book, "Sol's World: Somebody to Love".

Ma told Shin Min, "I had bought Aw's first book. I came early today as I was worried that I'll miss out on her second book."

Ma shared that he has been a fan of Aw's for years, and that his favourite work of hers was "Little Nyonya".

"I really like her personality, and how kind she is. Through her, I learned about perseverance," Ma commented.

Online fundraiser goes on until end of July

As of Jun. 30, Aw's online fundraiser on Giving.sg has raised over S$8,000, surpassing the stated goal of S$6,288.

The proceeds from the charity sale and the online fundraiser have totalled about S$20,000 so far.

On the funds raised, Aw expressed her elation, saying, "Pleased! This has already far surpassed our original goal of S$6,288."

"Many of those who came to support not only gave based on the price of the items, they also donated extra. One of them donated S$628, which is the date of my birthday. That warmed my heart," Aw commented, according to Shin Min.

She also said, "I'm very grateful to everyone for supporting me in such a manner. More importantly, their donations will go to helping Singapore Children's Society. I think this is very meaningful."

Aw's online fundraiser will run from until the end of July.