HONG KONG (SE): The Caritas Charity TV Show, organised by the Friends of Caritas, was telecast on July 18 on the TVB Jade channel. The show, an annual event since 1996, is more than just a fund raising programme. It is an effective platform through which the public can better understand the diverse services provided by Caritas over the past 67 years.
This year, the event featured the tailor-made services addressing the needs of the grassroots during the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic since the beginning of the year. These include sending secondhand computers to poor students for online classes, teaching people to make cloth facemasks amidst a serious shortage, as well as conducting vision checks for children living in subdivided flats as they may not have enough space or proper light for reading while trapped at home.
In an online appeal posted before the show, Father Joseph Yim Tak-lung, chief executive of Caritas-Hong Kong, appealed for more generous donations from the public, and said it was a way to make good use of the $10,000 from the cash payout scheme of the government.
John Cardinal Tong Hon, apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, officiated at a lighting ceremony together with Peter Leung Ming-hym, chairperson of the 2020 Caritas Fund Raising Committee and the deputy chief executive of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia); Francis Law Sau-fai, director of Toyo Mall Limited; Jacinto Tong Man-leung, chief executive of Gale Well Group and Andrew Chan Tak-kuen, chairperson of Friends of Caritas.
Orchestral performances have been one of the attractions of the Caritas Charity TV Show. This year, the Gramophone Orchestra and renowned pianist Colleen Lee Ka-ling were invited to perform. Popular singers, such as Liza Wang Ming-chuen and Joyce Li Le-shi, also performed on the show.
In addition, actors Dicky Cheung Wai-kin and Maggie Chan Mei-kei shared their experiences in charity work and their own stories in connection with Caritas.
Organisations supporting the charity show included the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, AMTD Foundation, SaSa Beautiful Charity Fund as well as Daniel & Co.
The Lo Siu Tong Charity Fund contributed a $10 million matching donation, meaning the fund will donate one dollar for every two dollars raised from the public, which is valid for every donation until September.
As at July 27, donations received had already exceeded $8.3 million. Together with donations pledged and the matching fund, it is anticipated that the total funds raised during and after the show will reach at least $15 million.
