BTS is no stranger to charity, and this has empowered their fans, known as the ARMY, to take action and help those in their community.
BTS recently made headlines in Singapore in relation to the BTS Meal from McDonald’s. But did you know about how BTS has used their fame to inspire social good?
Many tend to assume that K-pop is simply a manufactured industry, but BTS, in particular, has been noted for their good deeds. All its members have quietly donated towards causes they are passionate about in largely unpublicised moves. In March, Suga donated 100 million won to support children affected by cancer. J-hope recently donated 100 million won to One Stop Centre in Tanzania, a facility for young survivors of violence.
The band also donated USD$1 million to support their live concert crew as the industry was affected amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
In turn, BTS’s giving efforts has inspired its 40-million strong global fanbase, known as the ARMY (short for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth) to regularly donate and carry out charity work. Around the world, the ARMY has become a source of hope for others in their communities.
Last year, when BTS donated USD$1 million toward the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, the ARMY matched that donation within a day. In other countries, the ARMY has helped to build schools, plant trees, distribute meals, provide for children in need and more.
In Singapore, the ARMY does good together through fan-based initiatives such as We Purple You, butterfulday, BANGTANSG, Borahae Team and more.
“We are but a tiny drop in the sea of inspired fans, but we hope to make a small difference to other people’s lives,” We Purple You expressed.
We speak to We Purple You and Butterfulday to uncover more about their giving efforts in Singapore.
Butterfulday Raised Funds For Frontliners In 15 Minutes
In the lead-up to BTS’s 8th anniversary earlier in June, Butterfulday ran an online fundraiser, publicised on Twitter, to provide 100 sets of snack boxes from Polar Puffs and Café to frontline workers at Changi General Hospital. They reached their goal in a staggering 15 minutes. “Through retweets and a giving community, it was easy to rally support!” Butterfulday shared.
As donations continued to pour in, the ARMY in Singapore recommended that Butterfulday also connect with non-profits like HeathServe as well as migrant workers and hawker stall groups whom they felt were particularly vulnerable during this pandemic. “We felt it was a really good chance to give back to those who needed it the most,” Butterful elaborated.
Aside from that, Butterfulday extended their donations to Cat Welfare Society and Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS). Staff from OSCAS had been running short on supplies, so the donations of kibble, supplements and treats came at the perfect time. “Every little bit of influence and contribution counts,” Butterful shared after raising a total of $3,613 over 7 days.
We Purple You Donated Over 300 BTS Meals To Healthcare Staff and Children In Need
In the same week that the McDonald’s BTS Meal made headlines, We Purple You fundraised $2,865.80 to donate a total of 322 BTS Meals to children from lower income families and healthcare staff at Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute (NUH) and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital . It was their first ever fundraiser. As a newly-built team, they relied on friends and fans to spread the word about the fundraising project. Other fan-based initiatives such as BANGTANSG, butterfulday and btsborahaeteam helped to spread the word.
In particular, We Purple You credits fellow ARMY initative BANGTANSG for providing tips and advice on how to fundraise and all ARMY who have made the fundraiser possible. They look forward to supporting other social causes in the near future. “ARMY, in general, is like a huge family,” We Purple You expressed.
