Ngô Thanh Vân, Heartbeat Vietnam Ambassador, speaks about Scar of Life 10, a charity fundraising programme for disadvantaged children with congenital heart defects at a press meeting on November 14. Photo courtesy of VinaCapital Foundation

HCM CITY — Vết Sẹo Cuộc Đời 10 (Scar of Life 10), an annual charity auction and gala dinner to raise funds for disadvantaged children with congenital heart defects, will take place on December 1 at Landmark 81 in HCM City.

This 10th-year milestone marks the return of the programme after a two-year delay due to COVID-19.

Aside from raising awareness and funds for children’s heart operations, the event organised by actress, film director and producer Ngô Thanh Vân, who is Heartbeat Vietnam Ambassador, will honour devoted benefactors who have supported the charity fundraising programme over the past 10 years.

Heartbeat Vietnam, a programme of NGO VinaCapital Foundation, supports heart surgery costs 100 per cent for disadvantaged children who have congenital heart defects.

To spread the charity fund’s value further and provide more children with heart operations, newly-launched ambassadors of the Heartbeat Vietnam programme are young people who have a positive influence and are passionate about charity work, including singer Jun Phạm, singer Isaac, composer Hứa Kim Tuyền, Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’Hen Nie, singer Tóc Tiên, actress Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc, social activist Helly Tống, businessman Huy Trần, goalkeeper Bùi Tiến Dũng, and athlete Vũ Phương Thanh.

“Each of them has a loving heart that accompanies, shares, and spreads the meaningful values that Scar of Life always wishes to bring to disadvantaged children with congenital heart defects in Việt Nam,” Vân said at a press meeting on November 14.

The charity event has raised more than US$2.57 million to support a total of 2,317 children with congenital heart defects since its inception in 2011. —VNS