More than 9,000 people take part in the Run For The Heart charity programme held at Gamuda City in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai District last Sunday (Nov 10). It raised more than VNĐ 2.7 billion ($116,400) to fund surgeries for 97 children with congenital heart disease. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HCM CITY — More than 300 business leaders and artists will take part in an annual auction and gala dinner to raise funds for children with congenital heart defects organised in HCM City on November 30 by NGO Heartbeat Vietnam.

Scar of Life, which will fund surgery for more than 350 children, will also feature the premiere of short film “The Paper Plane” directed by Jun Phạm.

Movie star and director Ngô Thanh Vân, who is also the ambassador of Heartbeat Vietnam, told a press meeting on Monday (Nov 11) that the funds would be raised from silent and live auctions in which more than 70 valuable items related to arts, architecture, fine cuisine, and travelling would go under the hammer.

The highlight would be a limited edition High Porcelain Kwan Yin sculpture of which only 888 pieces were made by renowned Spanish brand Lladró.

It was donated by QHome, the exclusive distributor of Lladró in Vietnam, and costs 10,700 euros (US$11,800) on the Spanish company’s website.

Thousands of children with congenital heart defects suffering and are unable to realise their dreams, Vân said, adding everyone in society should contribute to give those children a chance to live.

“The Paper Plane” is about two poor children with congenital heart defects. Both of them put their dreams into paper planes and fly them every day with the expectation their wishes will come true one day.

Jun Phạm said: “It is a challenge to tell a story which is true to life and emotional. I hope the audience will support unlucky children and take action to make children’s dreams come true.”

The theme song of the short movie, Nếu một mai tôi bay lên trời (If one day I fly to the sky), was composed by Hứa Kim Tuyền and sung by Trúc Nhân.

Vân said: “People say that if a paper plane can fly for more than 10 seconds, the maker’s wishes will come true. The paper plane carries the children’s wishes.

“I hope each of us will join hands to launch those paper planes, making their wishes come true.”

Heartbeat Vietnam and Gamuda Land will organise another annual charity programme, Run For The Heart, to raise funds for surgeries for disadvantaged children with congenital heart disease.

This will be held on November 24 at Celadon City in HCM City’s Tân Phú District.

In Hà Nội it was organised last Sunday (Nov 10) at Gamuda City in Hoàng Mai District with more than 9,000 people joining. It raised more than VNĐ2.7 billion ($116,400) to fund operations for 97 children.

In six years the programme has raised more than VNĐ23 billion ($991,500) to help 900 children.

It attracts 10,000-15,000 participants each every year in Hà Nội and HCM City. — VNS