[Student Reporters] Felicapella Hold a Fundraising Concert for a Spastic Patient
Sun Min Park / <12th, hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies>
On August 15th Korea's Independence Day several members of Felicapella a volunteer club at Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies held a fundraising concert outside the AK plaza at Seohyun Station Bundang-gu.
From 5:30 the members gathered outside of Baskin Robbins 31 carrying their instruments including violins a saxophone an electric guitar a double bass a digital piano a clarinet an ocarina and a flute. As it was their first concert ever the students had some troubles setting up the speakers and the digital piano. While they were getting their instruments ready and connecting electricity their parents helped setting up the donation box and posters explaining the purpose of the concert.
Yongmi Huang (16) for whom this event was planned is a member of Johnhouse a Catholic institute run by nuns for patients suffering from cerebral paralysis. She is congenitally spastic and was abandoned as a baby. Along with cerebral paralysis she has several complications that demand constant treatments and surgeries. Unfortunately the institute ran out of money for her suspending an urgent surgery that she needs. When the Felicapella club members heard the news they decided to hold a fundraising concert for her.
Overwhelmed by the fact that they were playing in front of a whole sea of people passing by the students were rather shy at first. However the situation changed once they started playing. They played in groups of two or three at a time. Playing the instruments and asking people for donations became more natural as the concert progressed. They met far more enthusiasm than they had expected. For two hours they played famous music pieces such as "Por Una Cabeza" "My Heart Will Go On" and "Raindrops Falling on my Head".
This money cannot save Yongmi by itself but it will definitely aid her to survive. The team is planning another concert on September 5th at the same place. The students hope to raise even more money.
Felicapella visits Johnhouse on a regular basis for volunteer work. Members clean the place help out at events like Christmas Party teach the members how to play the handbells and more. The club recently met its third birthday. It currently consists of about twenty members.