SINGAPORE : Venerable Shi Ming Yi did it again, with yet another
amazing feat for the Ren Ci Charity Show on Sunday night.
After abseiling down Suntec Tower 2 in 2003 and immersing himself
in a ton of ice last year, he performed a stunt where he balanced
atop a 12-metre tower on a plate measuring 20cm by 20cm for 1 hour
and 45 minutes.
The number of calls from donors jumped dramatically whenever he
appeared on screen during the show, which was broadcast live on
MediaCorp TV Channel U.
His stunt was one of many performed during the third annual charity
spectacular. In all, $6.6 million was raised for Ren Ci Hospital
and Medical Centre.
The hospital, founded by Venerable Shi, has been caring for
chronically-ill patients since 1994. The hospital also intends to
contribute $500,000 to the the tsunami disaster relief
effort.
The charity show was also a milestone for MediaCorp TV Holdings -
the result of the MediaCorp TV and SPH MediaWorks merger. It was
the first major event featuring almost 40 artistes drawn from both
stables.
A number of international celebrities also took part, including
Hong Kong actress Nancy Sit, Taiwanese singer Richie Ren, Malaysian
singers Z Chen and Fish Leong, and local singers J J Lin and A Do.
- CNA