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On Saturday 11th March 2006, the members of the Prefects Board of Sri Cempaka Damansara and Persatuan Anak-Anak Penyayang Sri Cempaka (PAPS) descended upon 1-Utama shopping complex. The usually tranquil Rainforest section of the shopping complex took on an entirely different atmosphere as the Cempaka Mekar Lupus Charity Awareness Campaign took place in full force, complete with live performances and a charity bazaar.
Ten years ago, any mention of the word "lupus" was often met with confused bewilderment. Back then, few were aware of the existence of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), an auto-immune disease which affects the patient's immune system and causes production of anti-bodies that react against the person's own tissues. Today, however, the tide is slowly but surely beginning to turn for lupus sufferers the world over, thanks to the increasing numbers of organizations founded to provide support for lupus sufferers.
In 1995, the Malaysian Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Association started out as a fledgling avenue for concerned doctors and patients in the Klang Valley. Over the years, this association has spread its wings and taken flight by setting up medical centres in the Klang Valley, Sabah, North Penang and Johor. The main objectives of this association are to provide social and psychological support and financial assistance to needy SLE patients, and to promote the understanding of SLE and the related Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) among patients, their families and community at large.
With this in mind, the Prefects Board of Sri Cempaka Damansara set out to further the cause by organising an awareness and fund-raising campaign in aid of Lupus sufferers in Malaysia. The event was launched at 11 a.m. with a variety of performances showcasing the homegrown talent of Sri Cempaka. Bands like Whiteboard, The Aiyum Crew and TRIPWIRE belted out song after song, earning cheers and claps from the audience, whilst group dances by ZBAVIT, Breakbeat and Progressive Funk kept the mood going with their energetic dance moves. Guest bands Shoreline Perspective and Tears of Tragedy were also present at the event. In between performances, MCs Cheryl Tan and Sarah Liyana kept the crowd entertained with their lively commentary.
Student and tap dancer Ng Bee Bee, one of the performers at the event, commented on the good turnout and voiced her determination to help out in any way possible.
"I want to help raise funds so that a cure can be found as soon as possible. I don't want them (lupus patients) to suffer anymore," said Ng, 16.
Various booths were set up to provide information and sell attractive souvenirs to the visitors. The Malaysian SLE Association was there to hand out pamphlets and to answer questions posed by the enquiring public. Meanwhile, the Prefects' Board set up booths selling sand art, bubble tea, muffins, cotton candy, specially designed T-shirts and collar pins. The butterfly-shaped collar pins symbolically reflected the butterfly rash seen on the cheeks of many lupus patients. Young children and adults alike were seen getting their faces painted and picking out henna designs to be painted onto their hands and arms.
Celebrity twins May Wan and Choy Wan made a special guest appearance at 11.45 a.m. This was a cause close to their hearts as their own mother is a sufferer of the disease. Dressed in matching tracksuits, the vivacious twins took to the stage immediately upon arrival, eliciting cheers and applause from the excited crowd.
"I'm so touched that all you guys are here today...thank you to Sri Cempaka for organizing the event!" exclaimed Choy Wan.
The twins responded positively when asked for their opinion of the event.
"It's unbelievable; we never expected it to be this big! We're very touched and very happy that you've raised such a lot of money," they beamed together.
When their mother arrived some time later, the proud twins pulled her onstage and introduced her to the enthusiastic crowd.
The event was officiated by the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Shahrizat. She was assisted by the founder and vice-president of The Malaysian SLE Association, Professor Datin Dr. Norella Kong and Dr. R. Raveendren. Datin Freida Pilus represented the board of Sri Cempaka schools.
Opening speeches were given by Arizz Azhar, the Head Prefect of Cempaka Damansara, Datin Freida, Dr. Raveendren and Dato' Shahrizat.
In her speech, Dato' Shahrizat jokingly thanked the school for remembering to invite her as an alumni parent of Sri Cempaka. Humour aside, she highly commended the school's efforts in organizing the event, expressing amazement at the amount of money raised.
"I did not think the children could ever raise so much!" she exclaimed, adding however that she would have attended the event even if the sum of donations was a mere RM 10. She also offered her heartiest congratulations to "Arizz and his gang" for making the event a success, saying that of all the charity functions she had attended, what they had put up today ranked as one of the best.
After the speeches, the official ceremony took place. Dato' Shahrizat and Datin Freida cut the ribbon and unfurled the campaign banner together. A mock cheque totaling RM 45,000 was then handed over to Datin Norella Kong. To round off the ceremony, the guests of honour were presented with bouquets of flowers and souvenirs as tokens of appreciation.
After the official ceremony, the entertainment continued with another series of performances by the bands, singers and dancers. The Head Prefect took the opportunity to let his hair down and, together with the talented Breakbeat, danced his way into the hearts of those present.
By 7 p.m. the excitement was winding down as tired guests and participants started to leave. The prefects, however, were still busy tallying the stocks with the collections and tidying up. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the main forces behind the event, Head Prefect Arizz Azhar and Assistant Head Nicholas Quah took a moment to reflect on the day's events.
"It was a great success!" enthused Arizz, who looked cheerful despite being on his feet the whole day.
"It took up plenty of time and effort, but we all worked together and pulled through. Apart from some minor slip-ups, the event went smoothly as planned, and I'd like to thank everybody involved in today's campaign."
Nicholas, striking a somewhat sober tone, said:
"The event was great, but really, one day is just scratching the surface of what needs to be addressed. In the course of preventing Lupus, we (the student body) can only help as much as we are able. The rest is left up to the public."
