Richard Poon sings for elderlies at "Growing Old With You"

Richard Poon, known as the Jazz Sensation pleased audiences with a mix of classic and contemporary hits at “Growing Old With You”, a concert held at Celebrity Sports Plaza in Diliman, Quezon City for the benefit of the senior citizens of Golden Acres Haven for the Elderly.

The “big band crooner” known for his jazzed rendition of Filipino classic songs such as “Kahit Maputi na Ang Buhok Ko” also sang his own version of Carla Rae Jepsen’s “Call me Maybe” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” to the surprise and delight of the crowd. Selections like Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” and Adam Sandler’s “Grow Old With You” helped set the tone for the event.

“I usually over prepare,” said Poon, when asked about his song choices. “The band knows me well enough that I never follow what I initially write.” Poon said his song line-up changes in mid-performance depending on the reaction he gets from the crowd. “If I don’t, it’s going to be boring.”

Richard Poon performs classic and contemporary hits in his mini concert for Golden Acres retirees. 

Poon, who had performed in a number of other charitable efforts, described the event as “intimate”. “You’d have thoughts like ‘I’ll grow old someday, will somebody take care of me?’” he said. “It does strike a chord somewhere.”

All-female group Pretty Young Thing and song-and-comic trio The Miss Tres of Pilipinas Got Talent Season 4 were the opening acts of the night. The concert was organized by Outbox Media Production Agency, a full-service events management and multimedia production company, as part of its seventh anniversary and the birthday of its founder and managing director, Rossel Velasco-Taberna.

Other companies that answered the call of the fundraising event are Foton Motors Philippines, Puregold, Uratex Foam, Bounty Fresh Chicken, Asia Refreshments Corporation, Waterfront Hotels and Casino, Ferna Corporation, Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, The Blounge, Hot Shot Studio, Sogo Chain of Hotels, and Tunying’s Bread.

Concert with a cause

Velasco-Taberna said funds raised by the concert will be used for the medication and financial support of the residents of Golden Acres in its newly built facility in Barangay Sampaloc in Tanay, Rizal that takes care of over 140 abandoned, neglected, and homeless senior citizens.

Rossel Velasco-Taberna (left) with husband Anthony Taberna speaks before the elderlies of Golden Acres Haven for the Elderly in Tanay, Rizal. Rossel celebrated her birthday and company’s seventh anniversary in the retirement home. 

“We do this annually, but this is the first time we had elders for our beneficiaries. Mostly, they have been kids,” Velasco-Taberna said, adding that the company has been partnering with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for their projects. “We asked DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman about possible beneficiaries and she suggested that we visit the elderlies who were transferred here in Tanay,”

Earlier, the company visited the site and treated residents to a number of entertainment performances, in addition to providing them with food and donations in kind. “We’ve been very blessed this year,” said Velasco-Taberna.”We hope for more socially-inclined events for Outbox.”

Both events were lauded by local DSWD officers. “I admire her decision to celebrate her birthday and company anniversary here. Their visit had brought enjoyment and satisfaction to our elderlies,” said Ricky Bunao, manager and center head of Golden Acres. “We hope they continue to extend their help to other retirement centers as well.”