The donor: Frank Xiao and fellow alumni
The gift: Raising $18,000 and climbing
The cause: Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
When Frank Xiao and a group of fellow Vancouver alumni from some of China’s top business schools were looking for a charity to support, they came across the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice almost by chance.
The son of a fellow alumnus had been involved in an event at the hospice and he raved about the experience. Mr. Xiao was intrigued and he went to meet representatives of Canuck Place last fall with a group of alumni. “We were deeply impressed and moved by how they provide comfort and care to children with life-threatening illnesses,” recalled Mr. Xiao, who is vice-chair of the Vancouver chapter of the China Europe International Business School, a joint venture between the European Union and China.
He got together with Vancouver alumni groups from four other Chinese universities – Guanghua Business School of Peking University, Tsinghua School of Economics and Management, Fudan University and Jiao Tong University – and they organized a concert to coincide with Chinese New Year on Feb. 5. The event drew nearly 1,000 people and raised $18,000 in total for Canuck Place.
The alumni groups are planning more charity events. Last year they raised $6,000 from a golf tournament for the Pacific Autism Family Network and they are planning another golf event this spring for another charity. They’ve also been contacted by a group that wants to raise more money for Canuck Place. “We are committed to host more events like this, and inspire more people to share their love and care for our community,” he said. “It’s not only about how much we raised, but also how we can motivate people around us.”
Paul Waldie