Celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China to hold charity show
Celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China to hold charity show
for quake victims
Helen Luk
Associated Press/Hong Kong
Celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China will
perform a fund-raising show next week for tsunami victims in
devastated southern Asia, organizers said Friday.
Hong Kong singers Andy Lau, Kelly Chan, Jacky Cheung, Aaron
Kwok and Alan Tam are among the stars who will perform at
Friday's four-hour show, local newspapers reported.
Patricia Ho, one of the organizers, said the lineup has not
been confirmed, and other entertainers were being recruited.
Comedian Eric Tsang, chairman of the Hong Kong Performing
Artistes Guild, told the Apple Daily newspaper they hope to make
We are the World the theme song of the event.
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off Indonesia's coast
Sunday, triggering tsunamis that killed nearly 120,000 people
from Southeast Asia to East Africa. Millions have been displaced.
Some Hong Kong entertainers will travel to affected areas and
film disaster sites to raise more money for victims, Tsang said.
Donations have been pouring in across wealthy Hong Kong: Action
stars Jackie Chan gave 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$64,000;
euro47,000), Anna and the King star Chow Yun-fat donated
HK$200,000 (US$25,600; euro19,000), and tycoon Li Ka-shing gave
US$3.1 million (euro2.3 million).
Veteran singer Alan Tam said he would give HK$800,000
(US$102,000) to the quake victims from ticket sales of his New
Year concert in Malaysia, according to local media.
In other fund-raising activities, Hong Kong pop singers
Nicholas Tse, Joey Yung, Jaycee Chan -- son of Jackie Chan -- and
the female pop duo Twins headlined another charity show by
Emperor Entertainment Group on Sunday night.
The government said local broadcaster TVB would produce a two-
hour television charity show on Saturday at the Hong Kong
Stadium. TVB also said it would air another fund-raising special
Sunday night, but the lineups for both shows have not been
completed.
Western Union Financial Services International, one of the
world's largest money transfer companies, announced Friday it
would donate US$1 million to the International Federation of Red
Cross for tsunami victims.
The company also said it would provide free financial
transfers for people in Cambodia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, the
Philippines and Laos who wish to make donations.
GetAP 1.00 -- DEC 31, 2004 15:19:31