On Father’s Day this year, Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Developmentput up a special wish on the DADs for Life Tree at Dad’s Day Out event at the Sports Hub. During Dad’s Day Out, a total of 1248 wishes carrying the hopes and wishes of parents who are raising sons and daughters to be future fathers and mothers were hung on the tree. This feat has entered the Singapore Book of Records for Most Number of Well Wishes On A Tree. If you look at the number 1248 carefully, you’ll realise that the digits 2, 4 and 8 are double of the previous number – signifying fruitfulness and multiplication through the generations.
This special Strawberry Guava tree, symbolic of a father’s tender heart and strong shoulders, was re-planted at the Family Zone of Gardens by the Bay, in celebration of families in Singapore on 31 August 2023. The DADs for Life Tree is Centre for Fathering’s gift to Singapore’s fathers across generations – to recognise the older generation of fathers for their efforts towards nation building, to appreciate today’s younger fathers for overcoming the challenges of fathering in a complex and ever-changing world and last but not least – to encourage the next generations of fathers who are Singapore’s future.