Date announced for annual media charity fundraiser

Ladies and Gentlemen of Media, the annual fundraiser lunch to drum up support for the children's charity Mother's Choice, will be held on November 30th in Hong Kong at Oolaa restaurant in Soho. 

The event includes lunch for a total of 140 people, starting from 12pm, and an auction that raised a total last year of HKD$1.5 million for the charity. In the nine years the event has been running it has been able to donate some HKD$7.8 million to Mother's Choice. 

"For a decade, the media industry has helped us to believe that we can give every child a loving family," says Alia Eyres, CEO of Mother's Choice. "Thank you for putting your faith in us and for your extraordinary generosity and commitment to our work at Mother’s Choice. I am convinced more than ever that it takes a village to raise a child, and the generous support that you give through this event gives me great hope for future generations of children in Hong Kong."

About the charity

Mother's Choice is a local Hong Kong charity that was established in 1986 to provide help and support without judgment for pregnant teenagers with few options. In over three decades since, the charity has supported over 53,000 girls through pregnancies by providing them with educational support and resources, counselling, workshops and helping them with plans for their future. 

The charity has developed into a community that also helps vulnerable children. 

Jason is one of the many children cared for by Mother's Choice. His name is now Juan, and he lives with his family in Spain.

Some 4,000 children in Hong Kong live in institutions, foster care or residential homes, with hundreds more living in unsafe environments or hospitals while they wait to get places in these establishments. Despite formal plans to reunite these children with their parents, when they have them, around half will reach the age of 18 without a family. Growing up in institutional care means children are more likely to "struggle with antisocial behaviour, engage in harmful activities or face a teenage crisis pregnancy", according to the charity. 

Mother's Choice has a Child Care Home serving over 100 children every year, and foster care services to find safe homes for vulnerable children. Their overall aim is that no child in Hong Kong will have to wait for a family or need to spend time in any institution, not even the Mother's Choice care home, according to co-founder Gary Stephens. 

Be part of the event

Date: 30 November 2018
Time: From 12pm
Location: Oolaa, Hong Kong

The organisers welcome any support in sourcing or providing auction prizes to generate a significant proportion of the funds for Mother's Choice. Items can be donated individually or from a company and credits will be given verbally and in an auction book. 

For information about attendance or auction prize donations, please email  Phyllis Choi or Ann Chu.