Local charity hosts 400 at free Chinese New Year celebration

Great Heart Charity recently organized a charity Chinese New Year event, which saw 400 of its beneficiaries, volunteers and members of the public come and celebrate the festive season on a Sunday evening with food and performances which were fully subsidized for.

The non-governmental charity organization hosts the event yearly in and around the Great Heart Community Centre (GHCC) premises, regularly inviting old folks' homes, orphanages and many of its other beneficiaries to celebrate the Lunar New Year alongside the public, where they are treated to a free meal and are handed out angpau packets.

This year, renowned emcee Miau Miau hosted the event, which featured performances by children from GHCC programs, a lion dance, 24 seasons drums, magic shows, face swap performances along with singing and dancing.

In attendance was Danesh Raja A/L Rajaratnam, a representative for Pandamaran assemblyman YB Tony Leong Tuck Chee, who invited the crowd to speak to him concerning any issues in the Klang area, where GHCC is located.

He was joined on stage by the charity's Honourary Presidents, Tan Ee Hong, and Tan Wing Chong, along with President See Swee Choy and Managing Director See Swee Poh in the event's opening ceremony where each person played the 24 seasons drums as a symbol of unity and prosperity.

In his speech, the charity's Managing Director expressed his appreciation towards all those who had helped GHCC along its five years of establishment, up until today where the premise was recently purchased by the charity in order to sustainably serve the 400-plus people who come through its doors monthly.

In the afternoon, GHCC hosted a calligraphy contest in line with its Chinese New Year celebrations, where 95 people including students, the public and even non-Chinese participants took part and received prizes at the end of the event as well.

GHCC is a community center established by Great Heart to serve as a platform and place to contribute and assist the underprivileged groups, with its main activities including training classes, traditional Chinese medicine treatments, a community garden and giving out lunch boxes for the needy.