Roughly one in one hundred children around the world are born with congenital heart defects. These range from minor to life-threatening. In rural places around the world with little or no access to adequate healthcare, such cases can prove fatal at an early age. This reality is no less true in Yunnan's far-flung places, where children are sometimes properly diagnosed but still have no recourse because surgery is a financial impossibility for their families.
United States-based not-for-profit China California Heart Watch (ChinaCal) — with the assistance of several Kunming businesses — is raising money for Yunnan children who desperately need life-saving surgeries. They live in rural hamlets and big cities alike, but have one thing in common: their families cannot afford surgery. To mitigate some of the most dire cases, ChinaCal cordially invites any and everyone to attend the 'Have a Heart' fundraiser this Saturday, November 19 at DT Bar.
The benefit begins at 4pm and will feature a dazzling array of raffle prizes, performances by half-a-dozen bands and DJs, food on offer from some of the city's most talented amateur chefs and a short speech by Dr Robert Detrano, founder of ChinaCal. Everyone performing, selling food or pouring drinks on Saturday is donating their time and profits to the cause.
A door charge of 30 yuan per person includes one raffle ticket to the prize giveaway. Additional raffle tickets will be on sale during the event for the same price. Advance tickets are available at Cantina Wine & Chat, Great Australian Bite, Laowai's Paradise Deli, Slice of Heaven, Valhalla Craft Brewery, and Salvador's Coffee House. We highly recommend buying in bulk, not only as a way to raise more money, but also to increase the chance of winning one of the prizes.
The businesses above and Anthura Flowers, As You Like, Brooklyn Pizzeria, China Multiservice Consulting, Dali Bar, Dangsters, Dizzy Panda, DT Bar, Humdinger Brewpub, Lighthouse International English, The Mask, O'Reilly's Irish Pub, The Park Bar and Grill, Silver Chest Boutique Hotel and The Turtle have all donated prizes for the raffle and auction. The Yunnan Foreign Business Club and GoKunming are also proud supporters and organizers. Knox Education Consulting has already pledged 500 yuan in cash and Alei Lounge Club 1,000. If you would like to match or surpass those numbers, visit crowd-funding website YouCaring to make a secure contribution online.
A similar fundraiser last year raised 60,000 yuan for children in desperate need of heart surgeries, and just last month, 73 year-old Dr Detrano and several volunteers walked 163 kilometers from Dail to Lijiang, raising more than 160,000 yuan for ChinaCal in the process. Such efforts have collectively funded more than 500 surgeries over the past ten years, 30 of them for children who otherwise would not have survived. A typical surgery — which is generally too complicated to properly perform in Yunnan hospitals — costs between 60,000 and 100,000 yuan (US$9,000-15,000).
Musical acts scheduled to perform
• Bom (Blues rock)
• The Edge of Dreams
• Guarapo (Latin rock)
• Large Forehead (Ska, punk and reggae)
• Nevada and the Yucca Nukes (Country and Blues)
• DJ Xiao Kris (Electronic awesomeness)
Food and yum
• American-style pulled pork by Sarah
• Pizza by Jiajia
• Burgers and sausages by Charles and Alex
• Curry by A Yan
• Sushi by Xiao Yang
• Libations by DT Bar
DT Bar will also hold a clothing drive for underprivileged families in Kunming. If you are looking to donate old and gently used clothes in the run-up to winter, bring them along — excluding socks and underwear — and we'll help make sure they go to the good people at Heart to Heart Community Care who can really use the help.
If you would like to donate a raffle prize or volunteer your time, please contact colin[underscore]flahive[at]hotmail[dot]com. Come out this Saturday for a day and night of good food, fantastic live music, prizes and, most importantly, a terrific cause!
Comments
A worthwhile effort.
It will be a beautiful day Saturday and DT open patio is a perfect setting for any party. 10x even better since it's a huge charity fundraiser with tons of food and music and prizes. Let's blow past the 60,000 raised last year!
Yes, for those who don't know the place, the DT patio is laid back and chill on a nice afternoon, while inside is right for evening shows and the usual drinking, music and associated popular absurdities of behavior. This is a good opportunity to make it all worth something, even lifesaving, for others as well as fr one's righteous thumping self. Cheap at any price.
Thanks also to Anthura Flowers and Now Climbing Gym for their donations. If you would like to contribute anything to raffle or auction, please bring to the event before 7 pm. Cheers
Charles from Slice of Heaven and Alex from the Mask will be cooking up some sausages on the grill and all sales from their table will go to the fundraiser. Valhalla has also donated a keg of their beer and all sales will be donated.
Congratulations, Colin, and all who contributed, for a job very well done - and it was fun!
How much was raised Colin?
@Tiger, the event itself raised more than 30,000 but altogether the Kunming community raised a total of 81,000
Great, Colin! Next time let's shoot for 100!
Big thanks to the Turtle and their fundraiser last Saturday for China California Heart Watch. They raised another 14,000 for a great cause. Cheers to all of you at the Turtle for your hard work and generosity.
ditto Colin - well done folks!
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