MARKHAM, ON (November 8, 2022) – Mon Sheong Foundation celebrated Cathay Ball’s 30th Anniversary past Saturday. This Pearl celebration was attended by over 500 guests from across the community. Mon Sheong was honoured to have George Gao, world-renowned erhu musician, perform this evening. All proceeds from the night go towards the construction of the Markham Long-Term Care Centre.、
Tim Kwan, Chairman of Mon Sheong Foundation, spoke about the organization’s achievements in the past two years, “Canada’s aging population has created a desperate need for long-term care services. In the last two years, the Ontario government has awarded us with 1,150 bed licenses to support communities in need. The new Stouffville Long-Term Care Centre opened in early October 2021. Thanks to cooperation from the government, Mon Sheong couldimmediately start preparation for Markham Senior Care Campus and dived into the groundbreaking a month after.
The Campus is located in a prime location and will house Markham Buttonville Mon Sheong Court seniorresidence, a Personal Support Workers training centre, and Markham’s largest long-term care centre. Markham Buttonville Mon Sheong Court opened their sales office in May of this year to great fanfare. Demolition of the previous buildings began in September and the senior residence is expected to be completed in 2025.
Currently, Mon Sheong Foundation has a total of 777 long-term care beds with a waitlist of 7,500. This means that there are nine people in need waiting on each care bed. This shows how urgent the need for long-term care is in our community. Due to the inflation ofmaterial and labour costs, Mon Sheong is sorely in need of support from the community.”
Co-Chairs of this year’s Cathay Ball, Doris Chan, David Cheng, and Joseph Tsang, spoke about the night, “Pearl is an excellent symbol of 30 years. Cathay Ball was able to develop year over year to raise funds for necessary services through the ongoing support of the community, enabling the growth of Mon Sheong, much like a pearl. This is why pearl is the theme for this year’s Cathay Ball – elegant and enduring.
To thank the community for their immense support, every donation of $500 or more receives an appreciation gift of abeautiful pearl necklace, and donations of $1,000 or more wouldreceive a chance to enter a draw to win an all inclusive travel destination package.
Since this is Cathay Ball’s 30th anniversary, Mon Sheong collected precious memories captured in photos and posters to present a wonderful exhibition that left guests nostalgic and awed by Mon Sheong’s growth. In addition, using a combination of lights and digital displays, a Time Tunnel exhibit was created for guests to experience.
Other than exhibits filled with nostalgia, Cathay Ball featured a diverse set of performers. George Gao, Gemini-award erhu musician, played contemporary classical pieces to great applause. Students from the Etobicoke School of the Arts performed many classics to great fanfare.
Guests were singing and dancing along to upbeat 80s and 90s songs. The ever-popular social photo booth made an appearance as guests took photos and uploaded them to Instagram, tagging @CathayBall. They were able to get free prints of their pictures, taking home a tangible piece of memory.
The Silent Auction featured over 150 items, spanning from jewellery, to fashion, to restaurant vouchers, and more. Guests enjoyed themselves as they carefully browsed and bid on items. The Special Draw featured two Air Canada sponsored round-trip tickets from Toronto to anywhere in the world.
Mon Sheong Foundation appreciated the support from generous sponsors and extended a very special thank you to Presenting Sponsor, MediSystem; Gold Sponsor, Scotiabank; and countless other donors and sponsors for their continued support. The Foundation was also grateful for the efforts and dedication of over 100 volunteers and Youth Group members.
Cathay Ball 2022 highlights will be posted on the event page at www.cathayball.com, allowing guests to savour the night’s greatest moments. For more information about Mon Sheong Foundation’sother events and fundraising, please visit www.monsheong.org.