HONG KONG (SE): The annual Caritas Charity TV Show was broadcast live on TVB Jade on July 11. Organised by the Friends of Caritas and produced by Television Broadcasts Limited, the fundraising gala took place at TVB City in Tseung Kwan O under the theme “Messengers of Hope.”
The evening successfully raised much-needed funds to enable Caritas to continue providing essential services and ongoing support for vulnerable groups across the community.
The gala commenced with a symbolic lighting ceremony led by officiating guests, including Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, secretary for development of the HKSAR; Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing; Christina Maisenne Lee, executive director of Wofoo Social Enterprises and chairperson of this year’s organising committee; Joseph Lee Chung-tak, founder and chairperson of the Wofoo Foundation; Jimmy Jim Wai-ki, chairperson of the Caritas Fund Raising Committee, senior business director of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) and director of the ICBC (Asia) Charitable Foundation; Theresa Ng Choi-yuk, chairperson of Friends of Caritas; and Andrew Chan Tak-kuen, its advisor.
Together, they lit the “Oil Lamps of Love”, creating a metaphorical lighthouse that symbolised the spread of warmth and hope throughout the community.
Throughout the broadcast, four moving real-life stories highlighted the profound impact of Caritas’ social services. The featured testimonies included a young man’s journey of overcoming addiction at the Caritas Wong Yiu Nam Centre before pursuing a diploma in social work; Thomson, an elderly man who overcame physical limitations to become a community tour guide; a patient who regained her independence through subsidised knee and cataract surgeries; and students from Caritas St. Joseph Secondary School participating in an innovative AI and fashion design education initiative.
The evening was hosted by Liza Wang and Patrick Dang, while music director Chiu Tsang-hei and the Hong Kong Youth Orchestra provided a spectacular musical backdrop. In keeping with the theme of passing on hope, the entertainment featured unique collaborations between veteran singers and emerging artists, including a performance by Lowell Lo and the winners of the 2024 Youths Got Talent contest.
To maximise fundraising efforts, Make The Right Call sponsored 100 donation hotlines, while generous benefactors pledged to match every public donation dollar for dollar until the end of August, effectively doubling every contribution received during the campaign.
Members of the public may also support the campaign by scanning the QR code to access the online donation page.
