KUCHING: The management of the Wishesland, operated by the Kuching and Samarahan Division Cerebral Palsy Association under the leadership of its founding president Chi Poh Yung, was praised for its initiative in setting up the Wishesland Centre.
Speaking at a charity concert held at Hoi Tin Lau Restaurant here on Thursday night, Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei urged parents who have children with cerebral palsy to not give up, but to send them to the centre which provides counselling services, rehabilitation and consolidated treatment for children and adults, as well as providing moral support.
He also urged members of the public to pay a visit to the centre at Bampfylde Road and extend financial support as maintenance cost is expensive.
Wong said he would continue to give grants to the centre next year and urged members of the public to support the centre’s charity sale to be held at SJK Chung Hua School No. 3 on April 12, next year.
The charity concert saw many elegantly dressed women in attendance. They were donors.
The event resembled a beauty contest with 11 of the main donors awarded the title of ‘Charity Ambassadors’ — Hannie Phang, Jacqueline Sim Hui Ling, Michelle Sim, Mary Then, Adeline Tan AI Ling, Annie Kuek, Amanda Chong, Lo Mee Ling, Tay Mui Yang, Alison and Ting Sing Hua.
Looking like beauty queens, complete with their crowns and sashes, the donors cat-walked to receive their certificates of appreciation and souvenirs.
The charity concert successfully raised RM68,000 and another RM2,244 was raised by TJ Delight Restaurant, which were handed over by organising chairperson Sharon Bong to Chi Poh Yung, the president of Wishesland during the concert.
Chi revealed that the centre has helped many patients through the corrective measures and methods undertaken by the physiotherapists, speech therapists, nutritionists and specialists.
He revealed that the centre is targeting to raise RM300,000 next year to carry out various projects, including the construction a sports field (costing RM200,000) to enable physical training for the patients, especially the Boccia games to benefit patients from the whole state as well as a Nero Science Centre and a Wishesland Garden.
The centre requires expenses of about RM20,000 per month of operation costs, including paying the five physiotherapists and a language therapist.
