SINGAPORE - Focus on the Family Singapore, a charity which promotes strengthening family bonds, raised a total of $460,000 at its annual Partnership Dinner on Thursday (May 30).

The money came from table sponsorships, and the organisation hopes to hit its $650,000 goal for the event by the end of next month.

All proceeds will go to funding the charity's various programmes and campaigns which aim to bolster familial ties and were attended by over 43,000 people last year alone.

Aligned to Singapore's Bicentennial, the event also celebrated how family values have kept the nation strong over the years.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said at the dinner that the Government promotes families not just due to economic reasons.

"The real reason why the government supports families is because it is the tone of society," he said, adding that "a society is formed when there are units that are totally committed to one another".

Mrs Joanna Koh-Hoe, the charity's chief executive officer, said: "The Singapore Bicentennial is an opportunity for us to celebrate the fruits of our forefathers' labour, as well as to look ahead and think about what kind of society we wish to build."

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Many of the charity's programmes focus on strengthening relationships between parents and children from all walks of life.

Ms Carol Loi, 48, a digital literacy trainer said attending its parenting workshops have not only given her practical help with parenting, but also introduced her to parents having similar problems.

Her daughter Nicole Soh, 17, participated in another of the organisation's programmes which aims to impart the importance of family to youth.

"I got to meet people who come from less privileged families and it taught me to cherish mine more," she said.

Mrs Koh-Hoe added: "In the midst of already tremendous pressure to balance family with career, we might find ourselves questioning if the values we hope to pass to the next generation are still relevant. But the foundation of strong family values and healthy relationships is what will ensure our nation continues to prosper well into the next century."