The annual family benefit raised HK$2 million to fund Mother’s Choice’s children’s services in Hong Kong while fostering the next generation of compassionate change-makers.
They’re some of the most vulnerable people in Hong Kong – each year, thousands of teenage girls face crisis pregnancies with little to no support, and thousands more children find themselves without care following family breakdown, neglect, abuse and abandonment. Today, there are 4,000 children living in the residential care system. Mother’s Choice was founded in 1987 by two couples who decided, despite the complex and overwhelming systems in place, to do something. The end goal is simple enough – to see every child in a loving family. Today their vision continues to guide the charity, which offers four core services: Children Services, Youth Services, Family Services & Community Services.
This year’s Mother’s Choice Family Benefit, with AIA named the Fairy Dust Sponsor, was themed A Community Tale, brought an enchanting fairytale atmosphere to The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel’s ballroom, and filled an afternoon with charming performances led by the youngsters, who played an especially important role in making the event a success this year.
The afternoon was action-packed with activities and performances to delight patrons, guests, and little ones. Booths outside the ballroom with lucky draws and games kept young children occupied, while over lunch, guests enjoyed a special children’s programme, with a dance performance supported by Twinkle Dance, a musical performances supported by Creative Collab, a fashion show styled by Christie Simpson and Sana Sarwal Bijlani with outfits provided by Kids21, and a singing interlude with Crisel Consunji and Roy Rolloda.
The event also debuted the Mini Champions Programme, developed with JEMS Character Academy, to teach young people about the importance of philanthropy and supporting those in need, while Ananya Aswani-Wasan, the daughter of one of the charity’s long-time supporters, donated one of her paintings.
In lieu of a speech, CEO Sky Siu turned the microphone over to Ryo Desmidt, Sheridan Eyres, and Caitlin McLellan, the children from the Mother’s Choice’s community, who shared their own contributions with the charity, proving there’s no age limit when it comes to giving back. Through pledges and both live and silent auctions, HK$2 million was raised, with the funds from the event directly going to support Mother’s Choice’s Children Services.
