Taiwan Church News
3773 Edition
June 17~23, 2024
Weekly Topical
Charity Fair Held to Honor Ukraine Hero Singciang and Comfort the Suffered after Hualien Quake in April
Reported by Lin Yi-ying from Hualien
To care for people after the Hualien earthquake erupted on April 3rd, a charity fair entitled as “Hualien Shalom Concert” was hosted by the PCT Church and Society Committee and co-operated with the Taiwan Association of Community Advancement at Hualien Liberty Square on June 15th.
Many acclaimed guest groups were invited, including Taiwan Stands with UKRAINE, the PCT Eastern Presbytery, Fong-Lin Church, Dah-An Church, Tafalong Church of ‘Amis Presbytery and many others. Over a thousand people participated the event.
Before the opening of charity fair, three Ukrainian representatives of Taiwan Stands with UKRAINE, including the convener Mrs Olga Kulish, Ms Anastasiia Palamarchuk and Ms Oksana, accompanied by the PCT pastors, went to the columbarium of Singciang of the ‘Amis to lay flowers and pay tributes in the Ukrainian language: “Thank you so much, Singciang! You are a guardian angel giving life for the democracy and freedom of Ukraine. The Ukrainians will never forget you, because you are a hero of Ukraine!”
Amid the charity fair, Ms Mariana Savchenko from Ukraine sang the ancient Ukrainian hymn – Across the Wild Field; Mr Volodymyr Yaremchuk and Ms Viktoriia Holistofrova Khrystoforova showcased a traditional Ukrainian dance; Ms Oleg Vozniuk performed with a large hula hoop; the 11-year-old Anton Lin, Taiwanese Sheng player Mr Huang Jing-yu and Ms Khrystyna Hertsiuk jointly enacted a traditional Ukrainian folk songs – Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow; and Ms Anastasiia Palamarchuk, who once read a short poem in front of former President Tsai Ing-wen, recited a poem for the audience.
Rev Lin Wei-lien, secretary of the PCT Church and Society Committee, expressed that the PCT received over NT$ 4 million charity donations for Hualien people after the April earthquake. Among the 4 million donation, he said, over NT$ 1 million came from all walks of life. In order to take care of the Hualien people and support Hualien business to sell their produces well, except part of the PCT received donation was used to organize this Hualien Shalom Concert, the balance of donations was transformed into 5,000 coupons valued as NT$ 100 each to energize the business and benefit the suffered, Rev Lin remarked.
Mr Chen Ming-hui, deputy secretary of the PCT Church and Society Committee, served as the host of the charity fair. Used to be a veteran leader engaged in many social movements in the past, Mr Chen heated up the event with his humorous and witty language. He reminded the audience that MacKay Memorial Hospital had sent three medical teams to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, stressing that the purpose of this charity fair was to stand with the suffered and share the compassionate love of Jesus Christ.
Mr Chang Chai-kai, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Community Advancement, said that holding such a charity fair is to make the suffered catch the glimpse of the eternal hope revealed between life and death. He hoped that this event can substantially bless the local people in Hualien after the devastating April earthquake.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
