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.”
