YCIS Shanghai parents, grandparents, and staff raised their glasses in a spirit of charity at the third annual Charity Gala Dinner organised by Parents’ Organisation Pudong (POP) last November.

YCIS Shanghai parents, grandparents, and staff raised their glasses in a spirit of charity at the third annual Charity Gala Dinner organised by Parents’ Organisation Pudong (POP) last November. In all, the event raised RMB164,450 yuan, 16 per cent more funds than the previous year. As each heart operation costs approximately RMB25,000 yuan, the YCIS Shanghai community will fully sponsor operations for six to seven needy children. The evening’s theme, “a Heart of Jazz”, is a nod to Heart to Heart Foundation, the designated charity of the evening.

Even before the Gala Dinner began, the organising committee had received substantial donations from parents and grandparents of YCIS Shanghai students. In the weeks leading up to the event, parents and staff alike worked to solicit goods from businesses in Pudong and Puxi for the silent auction. Years 4 to 8 students got involved with the guidance of YCIS Shanghai’s Artist-in-Residence and produced an original work called The Faces of Yew Chung also for the auction. Secondary students lent a hand by providing babysitting services at the hotel during the event.

100 per cent of donations, silent auction funds, and proceeds from ticket sales went directly to Heart to Heart, Shanghai and fully 100 per cent of funds given to Heart to Heart will be used to pay for the heart operations for needy Chinese children. “POP is thrilled to have hosted an event that so completely fulfils our primary mission: to bring our community together, to foster friendships and a sense of goodwill among all for the benefit of our children, our school, our community and ourselves,” says parent Tess Robinson.