By Maddalena Di Tommaso
AmCham Northeast China Chapter’s annual Winter Charity Ball has become a signature event for Dalian and a major source of good for the community. Now in its eighth year, the annual event raised RMB 230,000 for three charities this year: Dalian Little Dolphin Recovery Centre, Dalian Rixin Orphanage and Wang Dajie Elderly Care Home.
Held in partnership with the International Club of Dalian and Shangri-La Hotel Dalian, the Casino Royale-themed ball welcomed around 600 guests. The event raised money through ticket sales, sponsorships, and a lively auction that encouraged attendees to give back to the community and support the charities. Guests bid on round-trip plane tickets provided by Xiamen Airlines, stays at international brand hotels and resorts, a white jade statue, exquisite wines offered by DCT Wines, and a remote-controlled drone. The funds raised will be used to help the three charity organizations invest in facility upgrades, training for teachers, new study aids and daily operations.
This event supported the following charities:
Little Dolphin Recovery Centre is dedicated to rehabilitating children with autism in Dalian. Established in 2006, Little Dolphin has helped more than 300 children and currently provides 60 autistic children with rehabilitation. Proceeds from previous Winter Charity Balls have enabled this school to provide specialized training for teachers and parents. Twice a year, the staff is trained in Beijing and Hong Kong, where they learn the most up-to-date and effective ways to work with autistic kids. Additionally, Beijing professors have visited the center several times to ensure the staff is running the school in the most helpful and efficient way possible.
Dalian Rixin Orphanage, established in 1997, is a privately funded care center for children who are abandoned by or no longer in the custody of their parents. It was founded by Lin Jie, a successful businesswoman who was herself an orphan. She adopted an abandoned baby in 1993 and continued to work hard for children's welfare, pouring more than RMB 100,000 into setting up the orphanage. Rixin uses much of its resources to teach the children art, science and other studies which enrich their lives outside of regular study. Rixin also cares for children's mental health by inviting psychologists and Chinese traditional philosophy experts to help the children grow up with a healthy minds and bodies.
Wang Dajie Elderly Care Home was started up by Wang Yining in 2006. Wang was orphaned at the age of 13, and, with the selfless help and support of her community, she was able to persevere and become a successful business person. Wang felt strongly about giving back to the community and established the elderly care facility to support homeless and impoverished elders, treating them as her own parents. The home has supported over 120 seniors. In early 2014, Wang was injured in a serious car accident and is still recovering. This unexpected misfortune has impacted the entire operation of Wang Dajie Elderly Care Home. The donations from the Winter Charity Ball will help them through this tough time.
This year, the Winter Charity Ball received strong support from Intel Semiconductor (Dalian) Ltd., Vitup Health Care Holdings Inc., Fidelity Business Services ( Dalian) Ltd., Volkswagen New Mobility Services Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Le Belier (Dalian), Goodyear Dalian Tire Company Ltd., Cisco Technology Services (Dalian) Co. Ltd., M+W Shanghai Co. Ltd, , Dezan Shira & Associate (Dalian), Kardan Land (Dalian), Dalian American International School, Kim Michalk, Dalian Satsuma International Trade Co. Ltd, Future Harvard International Kindergarten, Melinda Women and Children’s Hospital Dalian and Obsidian Bar & Restaurant Dalian.
Maddalena Di Tommaso is Business Development Officer at the Northeast China Chapter.