Farewell party benefits orphans

A FAREWELL charity party was held at the newly renovated International Social Club at the Nanhai Oil Hotel in Jida on March 23 with 100 westerners contributing more than 3,300 yuan ($471.43) to the Zhuhai Fuli Orphanage on Ningxi Road, Xiangzhou.

Golf Pro Ben Tarry, who instructs at Legendary Golf Academy in Wanzai; Michael SY Choi, chairman and CEO of Micro Energy Group Inc, a US-based solar company; and Peter Venter, owner of Dynamics Pizza on Jiaoyu Road, Xiangzhou, organized the event.
A Londoner who came to Zhuhai more than a year ago, Ben is leaving for home soon. He wanted to say goodbye to friends in Zhuhai. Therefore, Peter suggested a charity event at the club. “In our culture, if somebody goes away, he would run a party. When you have such a party, you try to do something for people to remember you,” Peter explained.

His idea was endorsed by Ben and Michael, the latter who had just taken over the club and completed the renovations. Thus, the Charity Evening & Ben Tarry Going Away Party occurred. Participants enjoyed the free light-buffet dinner, chatted and drank with friends, viewed oil paintings of renowned artist Wang Xiuzhang, and took part in the Golf Charity Competition for awards of “Beating the Pro Golfer,” “Longest Drive,” “Straightest Drive,” “Nearest the Pin,” and others. Each 10 yuan fee per ball went to the orphanage.
“Like any orphanage in the world, there’s never enough money and there’s never enough anything to give these children a fair chance. I think, with our friends, we can accumulate some money and buy them some equipment or sports equipment and let them have a more normal life,” Peter said.

“Michael has done a very, very good job here. We can do more events like this and we can get more of our friends together. I think it’s fantastic,” Peter noted.

During his five years in Zhuhai, Michael has supported charity activities by donating money so that three deaf and mute guzheng players could compete in Singapore and for other needy children. “It’s simple. We just bring people in and they enjoy, talk and socialize, and they just drop some money and we just buy a refrigerator, electric fans or air conditioners for the orphanage,” he said.

Apart from the outdoor Bar & Grill, lounge bar, coffee shop and art gallery, the golf clinic, which is equipped with training aids including video screen, ball dispenser and tee-up machine and golf practice devices, was the favourite.

With investment of nearly half a million, the golf training aids also allow one to compete with a machine, one of the most up-to-date golf simulators in the world imported from South Korea. Video cameras on every side take pictures of the player, who can watch and understand his mistakes based on the analysis. “It’s really a genius machine, and it’s very important for a beginner,” Michael said.
Children showed immense interest in the teeing area where one can practice driving a ball to the target hung on the wall, which is a background of the panoramic green golf course.

At the turn of the tee is an art gallery with red wood walls, couches and coffee tables. The display is modified once in a while to create novelty, according to Michael. Housewives come to relax, sip coffee, talk or practice golf instead of sitting at home, doing nothing and getting fat, he noted. He would also provide them with information about travel in other countries, culture, business, fashion and all kinds of connections.

“It’s a very nice cultural centre. Obviously, with the golf, a good Chinese cultural centre from a Korean person is a great idea,” Peter said.

Michael said he would establish a business consultant company to provide investment information to foreigners out of his own experience doing business in Zhuhai, and share related government policies and regulations. Moreover, he would like to provide them with information about the labour law, tax law, employment and so on.

“I want to educate people to make right decisions and help them to do right things,” he said, adding: “My recommendation is service business, institutes, technical training centre -- not the Chinese way, but real American or European style; not just talk, you have to touch; and also design school -- all kinds of designs – industrial, computer graphics, fashion and other designs.”