By Mary Anne Tan
It’s been quite a while since we went out to the movie theatre, with DVDs being so cheap and all but still nothing beats the thrill of being seated in a plush cinema complete with sen-surround system to hear even the smallest whisper.
Recently, Golden Screen Cinema on the 3rd floor of Summit Shopping Centre played the generous host to some single parents kids and kids from underprivileged backgrounds. The original plan was for around 30 kids to be invited to see “Cloudy with a touch of meatball” but since school was still on, it was really difficult trying to meet the expected target.
Several homes that Lian See had originally invited pulled out at the eleventh hour for personal reasons and left us at Jumble Station really flat footed. We eventually managed to get some 16 children and 5 adults to show up for the show and boy, what a thrill it was.
The kids who woke up early and had to skip breakfast were treated to a relatively delightful breakfast of mee siam, sausages, nuggets, cakes and drinks by Chatterbox. The Malay children mingled easily with the Indian kids as they happily got to know each other through the impromptu games we had while waiting for the GSC to open its screen doors.
Our hosts David from chatterbox, Nelson and Thomas from GSC were more than happy to have their photos taken with the irrepressible youngsters who took the opportunity to ape legendary pop idol Michael Jackson in his classic pose – one hand tipping his hat forward, the other stretched straight out or the other one with their feet crossed over and their hands outstretched over their heads.
For single mother Nisha it was her first time ever in a cinema and she’s already 25years old now. Many other children were also overawed with the cavernous auditorium, the darkness they were plunged into and the air conditioning! However, once the screen came alive with the antics of Flint the wacky inventor, the chill factor went out and the laughter set in. By the end of the movie, the little ones came out with huge smiles and willingly admitted that they had thoroughly enjoyed the entire event.
So a great big thank you to David of Chatterbox for keeping our little ones tummies filled and to the GSC staff for making time for the less privileged and bringing joy and laughter into their normally drab lives. GSC has said they plan to do this again and we’re looking forward to bringing more fun and happiness into single parents and their kids lives once again! Will our kids get a chance at seeing The Frog and the Princess next????
Parents without Partners and Jumble Station its recycle arm - are singularly focused on helping single parents in need. If you have items (we take all except plants and animals) to donate, SMS or call Anne 016-2202958.
