Stars in Our Eyes
utside shaw studios, the Alphards and Mercedes stretched along the road for hundreds of metres as a legion of international photographers fired a frenzy of flashes at the celebrities on the red carpet, who had flown in especially for the night. “Gwyneth!” they shouted. “Paris, over here!” they yelped. Right from the get-go, Hong Kong’s inaugural amfar fundraising gala took glitz and glamour to a new level. Expectations were sky high due to months of pre-event hype: “Naomi Campbell will MC” (turned out to be true), “Kate Moss will DJ” (also true), and “Robin Thicke’s going to perform” (again true!). The event did not disappoint, as those lucky enough to get a seat can attest.
Hong Kong’s first fundraising extravaganza for amfar—the American Foundation for Aids Research—was helmed by business heavyweight Pansy Ho who, along with her committee members, did a fantastic job of ensuring plenty of tables were sold. Some went for HK$500K a pop! As well as raising funds for Aids research, the event was an evening to celebrate the good work of Asia’s doyenne of the silver screen, Michelle Yeoh. In a touching presentation, Pansy, along with David Tang and Silas Chou, presented Michelle with the amfar Humanitarian Award. A big congratulations to Michelle, and especially to Pansy and her committee members, who helped to raise an impressive HK$4 million. And what better story to lead the Faces section in our Philanthropy Issue? Turn to page 92 to see our special amfar gala report, including a magnificent photo essay created by the incomparable Crazy Rouge, a redcarpet star in her own right.
Gracing our cover this month is one of Hong Kong’s most charitable tycoons, Peter Woo, a man who, on the eve of his retirement, should be planning a world cruise—but is instead dedicating more time to helping disadvantaged youth. Read about Peter’s inspirational Wecan Project on page 192.
Thankfully, Peter is not fighting the good fight alone. In our feature Helping Hands (p.200) we shine a light on 13 other white knights racing to the city’s rescue, including Ronnie Chan, Robert Miller, Michelle Ong and Anne Marden. With these generous souls leading the charge, it’s no wonder Hong Kong ranks among the top 10most charitable cities in the world.