By Maria Almenoar

WHO would have thought that giving something away for free in Singapore would be such a challenge?

Volunteers from the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) discovered just that when they took to the streets yesterday to hand out 45,000 free yellow gerberas.

Passers-by quickened their pace when they were approached or immediately waved volunteers away, thinking they had to pay for the blooms.

One volunteer, Singapore Institute of Management student Sharon Yeo, 22, stationed outside Wisma Atria, decided to change tack when her attempts to hand people the flowers did not take root.

Instead of explaining the whole purpose of the day's exercise, she started calling out: "Hi, would you like a flower? It's free!"

Once they took the flowers, she explained that it was all part of yesterday's World Kindness Day celebrations.

A passer-by receiving a flower from a Singapore Kindness Movement volunteer in Raffles Place yesterday.

Volunteers from the SKM were stationed at 66 locations, including Dhoby Ghaut, Liat Towers and VivoCity, from 11am yesterday till their supply of flowers ran dry at about 3pm.

Receptionist Sylvia Ang, 28, who had five stalks for her colleagues said: "We should be kind every day, but sometimes we are stressed and don't take the time to show our appreciation properly. This is good to make up for all those days."

Once word caught on that the flowers were free, there was no need for volunteers to approach anyone.

By 12.30pm, office workers at Raffles Place festooned the main holding area for the flowers at Hitachi Towers - some asking for bunches to give to their friends and colleagues.

Ms Sarah Sheehan, 45, vice-president at American Express, snapped up eight flowers.

She was inspired after her assistant left one on her desk earlier that morning.

"It was a wonderful surprise and I came down from my office to get some so that I could give them out to my family and my boss and obviously my assistant as well," she said.

While most viewed it as a good idea, one passer-by felt the entire exercise showed just how ungracious Singaporeans are.

Said business development manager J. Wong, 37: "It's supposed to be a token gesture, but instead of just taking one or two flowers, people are taking 10 flowers. They are just abusing the kindness of the organisers."

SKM's general manager Teh Thien Yew, however, felt the entire exercise was encouraging. "Some of them gave our volunteers a hug and some offered to help distribute flowers," he said.

He added that they were still considering if they would hold a similar giveaway next year.

Across the world, countries celebrated World Kindness Day in different ways. In India, children living in slums were given teddy bears and toys, while in Nigeria, volunteers visited old folks' homes and orphanages.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.