It’s been yet another busy week for our hardworking A-Listers. With the Cookout drawing ever closer, these gentlemen have been tirelessly working on their various fundraising projects. As mentioned last week, proceeds from these projects and the Cookout will go towards securing a fresh food truck for The Food Bank Singapore. Melvin, Suf and Paul stopped by to have a quick chat with us about their projects.
Suf Zumla & Melvin Lee
Could you share with us what your joint project was about?
M: We had an entire night of fun, drinks, music and partying but centred on a hot wings eating competition. We had about 10 contestants, vying for the top spot. Those who donated also won some small prizes in a lucky draw. It’s just really simple fun like that.
Why did you guys choose to do a hot wings competition?
S: To be honest, I was just looking for something that was related to food. At the beginning, I didn’t know what to do but Melvin came along and we started to think about what people would like to do and see others do, and we arrived at a hot wings challenge.
M: I thought if we each did a food drive or anything else related to food, then we only have one person that’s raising funds. But if we had 15 contestants instead, each of them can spread it to their network to raise funds. So I looked it from a truly analytical standpoint. I thought about how I could raise the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time possible. But I also wanted it to be about food. At first, we thought about just having a typical food competition like “Who can eat the most hot dogs?” but then we remembered that this whole drive is to raise awareness about food wastage! So we decided to axe that idea immediately and go with “Who can eat the hottest wings in the shortest amount of time?” So the amount of food was capped, but the spiciness was not!
What was the set-up like?
S: It was held on Club Street just outside Bartini and Drinks & Co. They were very kind in letting us hold the event there. Drinks & Co. sponsored the event, so they supplied the wings. The managers of both bars competed as well! There was a DJ spinning, drinks were discounted throughout the night and the proceeds of certain drinks went to The Food Bank Singapore.
How important is healthy eating to the two of you?
S: I eat very healthily. I believe in strict diets and exercise routines. Think about it. If you don’t look after your own health, who will?
M: I try my best. But I think for us – and Suf will probably echo this sentiment as well – we’re very fortunate to even be able to think about eating healthily for the sake of our health or even just aesthetics. But the work that The Food Bank Singapore is doing is to address the basic food necessities of the needy. Their work is economically beneficial too considering that they’re minimising food wastage. We have tremendous respect for what it is doing.
What do you think about the work Foodbank is doing?
M: I think it’s great. Personally, my involvement with philanthropy has mostly been within communities. So I’ve worked with groups like the needy and the elderly. It’s tougher to work with making changes to the infrastructure and the system of things- like what Foodbank is doing- so it’s just great. Their work is even economically beneficial considering they are working to minimize food wastage.
S: I’m quite passionate about it, really. I believe that every human being should have food, shelter and clothing. So I think it’s a big shame that people throw away the extra food that they have. My family has always been involved in philanthropy, so from a young age I was taught that giving back to the community was necessary. Altruism is also a value that holds dear to me- especially in today’s society because it’s so easy to get lost.
Paul Michaele Loiz
What is your project about?
I teamed up with two of my crossfitter friends Jeff and Mark, both of whom are coincidentally former A-Listers. The three of us have a passion for CrossFit so we teamed up to create a workout for charity. The whole idea is that the more donations we get, the tougher the workout becomes.
How do you stay motivated to eat and live healthily?
For me, it’s a necessity. The good thing about CrossFit is that you see the progress weekly. And seeing this progress makes it easy to stay motivated and press on. It also has a lot to do with community. Mark, Jeff and I constantly push one another to train harder and to make healthier food choices.
So apart from your CrossFit community, do your other friends and family play a big role in motivating you?
Yea, for sure. My sisters in the Philippines are constantly posting pictures of themselves participating in yoga, Zumba and even street-dancing. So their efforts to live a healthy life really resonates with me as well.
What do you make of The Food Bank Singapore’s fresh food truck idea?
Coming from a marketing background, I think it’s a perfect idea. It’s very consumer-centric. Having a roving truck that can actively address the nutrition needs of less mobile people is brilliant. It definitely also opens up more room for creativity with regard to the utility of the food truck – apart from providing food, this truck can also serve an educational or entertainment purpose. It’s a worthy cause to support and I’m glad to be raising funds for it.
With the Cookout less than two weeks away, we hope you’re as excited as us for a fun-filled evening with delicious grub! If you haven’t already gotten your tickets, what are you waiting for? Grab them here! Remember, it’s all for a good cause.