Great Heart Charity Association Raises RM1.9 Million At Charity Gala Dinner

It was a night of food, fundraising and fun at the Great Heart Charity 2019 Gala Dinner as 1,800 donors, beneficiaries, volunteers and guests gathered at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) on November 23.

With the goal to raise RM1.15 million to procure the Great Heart Community Centre (GHCC) that Great Heart Charity Association (GHCA) has been using for years, the dinner well surpassed their goal, with ticket sales, auction items, and merchandise sales bringing the grand total of funds raised to a whopping RM1.9 million, which is the most that the association has ever raised from the seven gala dinners that they have hosted over the years.

Yuen Juin Hoe, Vice President of GHCA, told the crowd in his review that GHCC supported the underprivileged community by giving out free lunch boxes, classes for children, medical check-ups by Chinese medicine practitioners, providing a community garden and other programs, as the association strives to be in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"In order to achieve a better and more sustainable outcome and impact, our programs are now aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 17 to address the challenges that our target beneficiaries face, including those related to poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and life on land," said Yuen.

The dinner, themed 'Home of Kindred Spirits', truly reflected the heart of the organization as prolific donors were seen seated next to the charity's beneficiaries, with everyone enjoying a traditional Chinese course meal and toasting 'yam seng's across the hall.

Asia Musical Production (AMP) also graced the event by delivering a series of performances called Tales of 4 Dialects, a musical theatre performance that used the Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka dialects to depict a performance that showcased themes of identity, culture, and family.

A total of seven art pieces were also auctioned during the dinner, which included art pieces that were curated by beneficiaries, and those by renowned local artists.

An art piece called Spirit of the Tiger, produced with the needy from the Philippines received the highest bid and was sold for a total of RM144,144, bringing the total amount raised from the auction alone to RM412,257.

Most of the art pieces that were sold during the gala dinner represented both the charity and its goal for the night, which was to procure GHCC.

In fact, much of what was planned for the night was angled towards this goal, the door gifts given out were house-shaped keychains individually handmade by volunteers, the themes of the speeches and performances revolved around the idea of home, and it was emphasized once more in GHCA founder Ric See Swee Poh's speech.

"One day, when we pass by the GHCC building, we hope that you will feel the same joy as we do in the fact that we only have this building because of the generosity that you all have shown to us," said See, who also recited a poem for the night.

Established in 2010, the Great Heart Charity Association is a non-profit charitable organization in Malaysia. We aim to provide substantial and meaningful assistance to people who face difficulties in life.