After the successful run of the inaugural Balestier Heritage Race in 2014, raising S$12,688 for Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home; the Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore At Zhongshan Park and WIT (Web In Travel) founder Yeoh Siew Hoon are joining hands once again to present the Balestier Heritage Makan Race, shining the spotlight on the local favourites that make Balestier a foodie’s haven.
The Balestier Heritage Makan Race will take place on Saturday, 4 July 2015, at 9am with a briefing followed by flag-off at 10am. Registration is open to people from all walks of life and participants are to form teams of two to six for the race.
The teams will get to uncover 14 food-related stops on foot, within the Balestier vicinity, trailing under three kilometres. Participants are to decipher the clues to the stops and complete a challenge in order to collect a stamp from the station marshalls, made up of volunteers from the Society of Tourist Guides Singapore and students from Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Teams that have completed all challenges are eligible for a Winners’ Draw, where they can walk away with cash prizes of $1500, $1000 and $500.
In addition, the organising committee will be recognising social influencers amongst the participants with novelty prizes for the ‘Most Social’, ‘Most Tamchiak’ (local dialect for greedy) and the ‘Most Poetic’. Heavily sponsored by industry partners and the organizing committee, event proceeds nett of expenses will be donated to the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.
The race is open to anyone – travel industry professionals, locals or tourists – interested in uncovering local heritage stories in Singapore for a good cause.
The entry fee is $30 per person and every cent of this fee will go towards Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.
Why Balestier?
From sugar cane plantations to shops filled with sweet and savoury delights, Balestier is an area that offers a taste of history. From tigers in the woods to temples with deep roots, Balestier Road tells a tale that spans nearly 180 years and has borne witness to Singapore’s remarkable journey from a British trading post to a modern city-state.
Today, Singaporeans make a beeline to Balestier Road to feast on chicken rice and bak kut teh. Others come for a wide selection of goods to light up their homes and add sparkle to their bathrooms. But behind the five-foot ways that still line much of Balestier Road, there are other discoveries to be made. This district was where key moments of the 1911 Chinese Revolution were hatched and classic Malay films were shot, where coffee was, and is still, brewed in the traditional way and conversations shared over freshly baked loaves of bread and flaky confectionery.
A joint effort by the National Heritage Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and supported by the Moulmein Citizens’ Consultative Committee and the Whampoa Citizens’ Consultative Committee, the Balestier Heritage Trail is a result of extensive archival research as well as interviews with residents and business owners who have witnessed the growth and development of Balestier Road. We hope this guide will serve as a reminder, or even an occasion for rediscovery, of Balestier’s rich heritage for both residents and visitors.
Experience for yourself the charm and colours of a place that has seen tremendous change and yet remains a thriving reminder of Singapore’s past and people.
Numbers are limited so please book your place fast.
For more details : http://www.heritagerace.com/