Here you find info about our news and current activities
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Outdoorsy Day: March 19, 2010
On March 19th, Magic Hospital hosted its first Outdoorsy Day for 2010. We invited 30 children from Guang'ai School to join in an exciting afternoon of laser tag at Star Trooper (www.startrooper.net) in Wang Jing, Beijing . Mike and Per, our Star Trooper hosts (and owners) generously donated the games, and their time, to Magic Hospital .
The children of Guang'ai (aged 12 - 15) were so thrilled by this fun and interesting new experience. Any worries we had that the children would not take to the sport were gone, instantly. The Star Trooper staff enthused the children with an energy of healthy competition and sportsmanship, and by the end of the first game the children were jumping around asking to play again, and again, and again! It was excellent that the age range of children, both girls and boys, were able to join together and work as a team while having so much fun.
At break time the children enjoyed pizza and drinks, and then carried on to play more laser tag games. The children were able to take their computer-generated score cards home as a memory of the afternoon (and to show classmates their high scores!).
We are so grateful to Mike, Per, and the entire staff at Star Trooper, and our wonderful Magic Hospital volunteers who came out to assist. Thank you for your ongoing support.
If you are interested in helping out at our next Star Trooper Laser Tag Outdoorsy Event, please contact us at info@magichospital.org
The Renegade Ceilidh Celebrates in Honor of Charities April 2009
A group of Scottish friends (James Brodie, Halla, Vicky Mohieddeen, and Tyra Dempster) organized a Ceilidh (a night of Scottish drinking, dancing, and fun), called Renegade Ceilidh. The event was held at a new venue named Contempio Beijing, which donated their services for the night as the event was for charity. The group charged an admission fee and donated half totaling RMB2,680 to Magic Hospital and the rest to another worthwhile cause.
Magic Hospital thanks you all for your creativity and selfless act of giving!
On March 15, 2009, Danz Centre held its 5th annual dance performance. For the fourth year in a row, the dance school donated proceeds of their show to Magic Hospital. Their incredible commitment to and heart for children raised over RMB10,000 for Magic Hospital!
“I hope these funds will go some way to bringing "magic" to the lives of the children that you are reaching out to,” said Lyn Kok, head of Danz Centre. The school also highlighted Magic Hospital in their DVD in hopes that it will be a reminder to those who watch it of the work we do.
In addition, 65 children from a local orphanage attended the performance courtesy Danz Centre and Magic Hospital.
105 children wave goodbye to the race boats - Magic Hospital Cooperates with Octagon
for the Volvo Ocean Race Event in Qingdao
On Saturday, February 14th, Magic Hospital and Octagon, in association with Ericsson and the Qingdao Education Resource Development Trust, hosted 105 youth between 12 and 16 years of age to celebrate Qingdao’s first ever participation in the world famous Volvo Ocean Race. The entire event took place in the Ericsson Pavilion, a building constructed inside and out to resemble the actual sailboat!
The kids in a number of activities including learning about the history and course of the race and life on the boat for the Ericsson race team. Participants signed large banners that were displayed on the Pavilion to support the Ericsson team as they departed the Olympic Regatta. If that wasn’t enough, the children watched and waved goodbye to all of the boats as they departed for the next leg of the race, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
The children really enjoyed the opportunity to be only one of two public groups allowed in the Ericsson Pavilion and have the best seats in the house for the boat launch. What’s more, they had an up close encounter with the famous Green Dragon Boat of China, which they all agreed was an honor! The kids received lunch and bags of treats courtesy of Octagon and Ericsson.
What a way to kick off our Outdoorsy Day program for 2009!
We offer our heartfelt appreciation to Octagon, Ericsson, and the Qingdao Education Resource Development Trust.
Plastered T-Shirt's Fireworks Party 2009 brings
sparks
to Magic Hospital
Plastered's 3rd Annual New Year’s Fireworks Party - a fundraiser for Magic Hospital – had their largest turnout yet! Attendees met at the Drum and Bell bar, located between the two towers, and enjoyed tons of free drinks and food, all very generously paid for by Marty Schwantz of Trainor Asia and Andy Benson of Corlab. Thanks to these extraordinary sponsors, the event managed to raise a record 18,000 RMB for Magic Hospital. The fireworks were bigger and better this year as well, as a dear friend Shi Hong Lei drove out of town to the wholesale market to purchase huge boxes that lit up the skies over the Drum and Bell towers for almost 30 minutes straight! The fireworks were also sponsored for by our benevolent event sponsors. We wish to further thank all of you who turned up and donated so liberally. We look forward to an even bigger party next year.
A special thanks to Jim and Su Ling for their assistance with the fireworks and to Darlene who manned the door and the donation boxes.
Magic Hospital would like to extend its most heartfelt appreciation to Plastered T-Shirts for their enduring support. This gift will help continue our Clowns & Co. program in 2009.
Awareness-raising at Beijing Normal University (BNU)
On November 19th during lunchtime, several volunteers/students stood outside to promote Prevention of Child Abuse and to raise awareness of this problem. Students on this busy street were approached and asked about whether they were familiar with this day and asked about their opinion. In order to display their support, students were asked to wear a yellow ribbon. Some enquired about the possibilities of becoming a volunteer. Despite the cold, many students stopped and listened eagerly to our presentation. The group was very diverse: Chinese, American, Australian, Filipino, and Dutch. In the end, over 200 students supported this day and wore the yellow ribbon. A number of the students signed up to volunteer for the children event at a migrant school just outside Beijing.
Raising Awareness Among Children in Beijing
On November 30th, a group of 10 volunteers from BNU visited a migrant school which consisted of children largely between 7 and 16 years old. They come from a poor background and most of their parents are migrant workers in Beijing. The purpose was to teach the children about child abuse, its signs and its prevention. Many of the kids were curious about the volunteers and vice versa. First, all kids took their place in their dining hall room. We managed to get the children’s full attention by approaching them in a playful manner. The aim was to stimulate the children to come up with their own suggestions and ideas, and being as active as possible. Thus, two volunteers stood in front of the class and started a Q&A-session with the kids. The other volunteers were scattered around the place and sat among the kids. Much to our surprise, the children knew a lot about child abuse already. Although many of these kids have suffered hardships themselves, they showed much understanding and care for other children that are/were abused. The children were then asked to make a drawing or write a letter to convey their solidarity and care towards abused children. These drawings were delivered to Children Centers in Beijing. Next, to lighten the atmosphere, the clown and his female partner stepped in, which made all of the children light up. They were intrigued by their tricks and games, and actively played along.
After the children had a break to enjoy their snacks and drinks, the final activity of the day was “design-your-own-bag”. Each child received a cotton bag from Magic Hospital and designed it with cloth, colors, and ribbons. The theme was harmony and some kids made clever remarks that the bags were “environmental-friendly” as well. These kids showed a lot of promise and are as clever as they are witty. At the end of the day, the kids were happy, some were exhausted, and others were boasting of energy. All in all, the event was a success and the volunteers hope to work with this school again in the future.
Special thanks to the following volunteers: Alistair Robertson, Danielle Goldberg, Lan Ting, Lesley Wee, Sun Bi Jia (and her friends), Xiao Bao the clown, and Yiwen Hsia.
On November 7, 2008, kids young and old enjoyed an afternoon of excitement and fun at the Magic Hospital Magic Show benefitting Santa Visits in December. Hundreds turned out to see award winning magician Eric Brouman (U.S.) perform incredible tricks and illusions in the International School of Beijing’s amphitheatre. Guests were not only mesmerized by magic, but also enjoyed the raffle which included a fun and impressive list of donated prizes from local businesses. After the show, the kids received an added treat of free ice cream courtesy of Cold Stone Creamery!
Thanks to Mr. Brouman and the magnificent support of the Beijing community, children from area hospitals, orphanages, and migrant schools received a special visit from Santa and his elves, along with a gift for each.
This event could not have taken place without our generous sponsors:
David A Clark & BDA China
The Opposite House
Beijing Home Delivery
International School of Beijing
That’s Beijing Kids
Cold Stone Creamery
Mrs. Shanen’s Bagels
Wondermilk
Plastered T-Shirts
Tania McCartney
We wish to offer special thanks to the following supporters:
Dr Tom Hawkins, Cindy Bulteel, and Tracy Park
Lejen (Mrs. Shanen)
Golden Bridges
Kids Run 2008 - "Green Garden School kids win
their fun spot
at Beijing International Marathon"
Magic Hospital and Octagon made it once again when on Sunday 19th October 2008 took 200 kids from Green Garden School, a migrant workers’ children school in Beijing, to the hottest sports event after the 2008 Olympics, Beijing International Marathon, where they first heated up the ground of the National Olympic Sports Center with their own 400 m Kids Run, then watched the race on a big screen from the tiers and cheered up for the Marathon’s athletes upon their arrival at the winning post.
The kids were shining in their yellow T-shirts provided by Octagon and warmly applauded to the Marathon’s winners, happy to have experienced a little taste of the race while not having to run for 42km like the athletes, who left from Tiananmen Square and made their way to the Center.
Every child was awarded with a Kids Run participation certificate and received a notebook and a pen kindly donated by Octagon.
Our big Thank you goes to Magic Hospital partner Octagon
the Marathon and Kids Run promoter, and who graciously provided such as great fun opportunity for the Green Garden children in the heart of sporty Beijing.
Creative philanthropic organisation awards 1 year grant
to further develop art workshops in hospitals
Magic Hospital is proud to announce that the creative philanthropic organisation, ArtVenture, will support the Art branch of MAP - our Music and Art Program from 2008 to 2009. Our Art Program aims to contribute positively into the medical process offered by physicians. The team of art teachers visits children in hospitals to ease their loneliness, fears and boredom by offering painting, origami and other handcrafting lessons. The ArtVenture grant will enhance the depth and quality of the art programme in Ertong and Beida Hospitals .
ArtVenture seeks to harness art and culture to improve lives in meaningful ways. It believes philanthropic programmes delivered through the arts have a special ability to reach people and play a vital role in harnessing the creativity needed for human health and development. We are honoured ArtVenture has chosen to support Magic Hospital 's art work with sick children.
How the Olympics Brought 30 Autistic Children to the Great Wall
We have experienced the Olympic Spirit in many wonderful ways in Beijing this year, but one of the kindest testimonies of One World - One Dream was the fantastic initiative of the Perks family. Magda, Jeremy and their children Alyssa and Daniel could not attend the Olympics due to an unexpected trip home, but decided they wouldn't let their tickets go to waste. They sent an email to friends and colleagues in Beijing offering to sell the tickets to the highest bidder and stated that all net proceeds would be donated to Magic Hospital! The Perks-family raised a remarkable 5,260RMB.
This creative and kind initiative will enable sponsor 30 autistic children to visit the Great Wall on 14th of October through our Outdoorsy Day Program, we will post pictures and a small article after the event, so visit us again.
Thank you Magda, Jeremy, Alyssa and Daniel for showing true Olympic Spirit!
A big thank you also to all the active bidders for supporting this effort, especially Rong & Mike!
If you would like to know more about how you can support Magic Hospital, such as initiating your own fundraising project please contact info@magichospital.org or have a look at our website under “Other ways”.
How the Olympics brought 30 autistic kids to the Great Wall
Part II
The Great Wall at Mutianyu and a steep hike
Impressions of a volunteer
It was a sunny Tuesday morning in Beijing as four expat women looked out onto the amazing site of the Great Wall in October. This in itself was worth the journey as the autumn leaves were ablaze with red and orange hues, we all took a moment to stare at the immense beauty that surrounded us and breathe in some fresh air.
Of course this beauty was lost to us when we spied the group who were joining us, thirty one children and thirty five adults. We looked at each other warily and headed forward into the throng. What greeted us were more than 30 wonderful boys and girls and just like our own children, over-excited after the long bus journey and happy to be out and about.
Our teams remit for the day was to hold hands and take photos, of course the taking photos part was easy, or so we thought, upon taking a breather at the bottom of the wall we invariably ended up being snapped with the kids ourselves by over-eager parents wanting photo’s with the blonde ayi’s!
After the issue of Magic Hospital t-shirts and much more picture taking we headed off. To my never ending shame I did not realize there was even a path that led up to the wall having always lazily took the cable car, but this great climb was no match for these strong little people. With much huffing and puffing (by us ladies), counting of steps (too many) and many food stops for the children we slowly made our ascent. After hands were held, (the children helping us!) and layers of winter clothing removed we made it to the top.
Cheers and clapping were the order of the day on arrival at the wall itself and the day was marked with a medal ceremony which caused great excitement among all of us. Getting everyone together for a photo opportunity was however, another matter, the final photo definitely included a few curious locals and tourists, but the more the merrier, medals were proudly shown off and the cameras flashed like an A-list awards ceremony.
And these kids were certainly A-list, a big thank you to all the parents and children of Xin Xing Yu school and their teacher Scott Sun.
I was proud and honored to spend a beautiful autumn day with such lovely kids, a Beijing memory I will treasure forever.
German Foundation Prana funds Music Outreach program of MAP
Magic Hospital is proud to announce that the German Stiftung (Foundation) PRANA has awarded a grant for the music outreach program. Initially a pilot program was begun in March 2007 at the Guang Ai Migrant School in Beijing . The Guang Ai Migrant School serves a population of school-aged children of migrant workers. These children are not allowed to attend public schools in Beijing because of their family's non-resident status. The migrant schools operate on minimum budgets, as any tuition charged must be kept minimal to maintain affordability for parents and they rely heavily on private donations. There are approximately 60 children who participate in the music lessons each week.
After the ten sessions children were able to identify and distinguish the sounds of various instruments when played as well as recognize by sight and pronounce the name of western and Chinese instruments. A significant outcome of these sessions, not originally planned for, has been the children's enhanced social skills, particularly in the areas of team building and interaction. Children appear less self-conscious when called upon to perform during sessions. They have greater confidence and have organized group activities and music related games on their own.
We believe the Music Program is a great example of providing a critical educational component to a group of children in an emerging nation who would otherwise not have access.
PRANA Foundation is a family foundation that is committed to supporting primary education, children's health and social entrepreneurs in countries in need. We feel very privileged to be able to work with this foundation and say Thank you for their trust and their commitment.
Plastered T-shirt’s Two Year Anniversary Party raises 4,000RMB for Magic Hospital
May 9th was not your usual Friday evening on Nanluoguxiang hutong. Although the trendy alleyway is no stranger to young revelers, there was more of a buzz than usual as Plastered T-shirts rolled out the red carpet for their second year anniversary party. Welcoming guests from across Beijing – friends, customers, media – the t-shirt brand hosted an evening of comedy, live music, and free drinks asking guests to contribute at the door to the worthy charity, Magic Hospital.
Shed Simove provided the comedy for the evening – producer of the massively successful Big Breakfast and the ever popular Big Brother programme in the U.K. He brought his bag of tricks and entertained the crowd while Random Ke played a brilliant set of live music. DJ Da Yong kept things spinning while guests spilled out into the surprisingly warm (for May) Beijing streets. Haobuhao's visuals were a stunning backdrop for the evening, showcasing design from the past and present.
We say a Big Thank you to the generosity of our partner Plastered and its guests!
Magic Beans – Growing hope for those who have lost it
In cooperation with Guangzhou Parent Group, a group of enthusiastic parents of children with cancer and dedicated volunteers, Magic Hospital reached out to 500 children at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Hospital, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and several other children hospitals in Guangzhou. The parent group has been founded by Mr. Cui, a father of a son who did not win the fight against cancer. He turned his grief into help by bringing hope and courage to children with cancer and other severe illnesses in Guangzhou’s children hospitals. For Christmas 2007 the Parent Group reached out their hand to Magic Hospital, and we were more than willing to support the wonderful Magic Bean Project. A Magic Bean becoming a beautiful flower through light and care. We hope that all our friends who have received this symbol for a brighter future will be better soon!
A big thank you to the Parent Group in Guangzhou and the hospital staff, who made this lovely initiative possible
Linxi Village in Shizu County is one of the poorest villages in China, a 6-hours bus ride away from Chongqing. We did expect the children there to be happy about some visitors, but what awaited the volunteers in Linxi was so moving and overwhelming that some of us could not hold back the tears and deeply touched by an experience that was unique for both sides, the poor villagers and the group of volunteers stepping into another world for a day.
Behind the pink dragon dancers that welcomed us excitedly, about 200 children appeared forming a guard of honour and shouting welcoming words at us, wildly waving flags, welcoming signs and flowers. The cries would not end and the children incessantly showed us how thankful they are.
Magic Hospital was blessed with the opportunity to share these touching moments with the team of volunteers, as we were invited by Baxter Healthcare to celebrate a T-Shirt Day in this little village along with the inauguration ceremony for the new primary school. To give the visit of Linxi a fun aspect and to provide a happy event for the children beside the official ceremony we shipped 200 of our red backpacks & T-Shirts and brought a wave of colourful happiness to our little friends in the mountains.
The children took their task very seriously, and showed great creativity in painting their new T-shirts with their individual designs, demonstrating them with pride. But not only the children enjoyed the happening - the whole village gathered and watched the happy and overexcited children. Most of their parents are working in the bigger cities and leaving their children alone, some still being sent money, some simply forgotten. Mostly grandparents were among the crowd sharing the moments with their grandchildren.
Baxter Healthcare sponsored the new primary school for Linxi Village and thus providing a better learning environment for 205 children and their 9 teachers. A big Thank You for offering us the opportunity to join your trip to Linxi! It was unforgettable.
Mid Autumn Festival 2007 brings visitors to Shanghai Special School and Green Garden School in Beijing
The Mid Autumn Festival is about spending quality time with your loved ones, eating, chatting and having a good time together. Our Shanghai team took the spirit of the festival to Shanghai Special School, a school for children with cerebral palsy. The daily routine of meals, games and training of the kids was brightened up by cheerful volunteers and a clown, eating lunch with them, holding spoons, motivating them during their usually monotonous and exhausting training and sharing happy hours playing games with the excited children.
Equipped with paper, pens, scissors and stickers they helped the children create Moon Festival Greeting Cards for their families - a nice surprise for the parents, sisters and brothers.
In the end just having someone spend time with them was what counted so much for the children, as the school does not see visitors very often - what a good opportunity to remember the ones who cannot be around their families eating moon cakes like everyone else.
At the same time in Beijing it was Mediacom Company who had a similar idea in mind: to bring cheer to children at this special time of the year. Mediacom has been cooperating with Magic Hospital before. Being a company that always has an open ear when it comes to helping children, this year Mediacom wanted to bring mooncakes to children in need. We recommended Green Garden School and the children enjoyed not only the cakes but games and laughter with the volunteers of this open-hearted company. What a great initiative!
Project Bean is named after a 7-year old girl who was saved from a rare tumour thanks to the love and donation from people in Dalian. The adopted nick name for the little girl is "Little Bean".
During our Christmas party at the Shanghai Children Medical Center, MH volunteers met Little Bean. They learnt about her story and subsequently paid a visit to her village and her school, the Linshan school.
Little Bean's school hosts 168 children from the nearby villages and was built with the help of funds of volunteers who organized an education forum in their spare time back in 2003. The pupils are equipped with the basics such as desks and books, however it became evident that there was a lack of extra-curriculum books as well as sports facilities.
That was how the "Project Bean" idea came up: MH volunteers to collaborate with the FSDC, an club of overseas returnees to raise funds together and bring some joy and much needed equipment to the school and its 168 children.
13,000 RMB were raised and changed into 168 magic backpacks, 568 books, stationary, 1 set of soccer ball gate, 1 basket ball basket, 2 table tennis tables, 3 horizontal gym bars, 6 soccer balls, 6 basketballs, 6 table tennis sets, 60 jianzi, 30 jumping ropes.
All was handed over on T-shirt day, 16th of June when a group of 12 dedicated volunteers went to the school to play, to organise little competitions such as jumping ropes, to paint T-shirts, to exchange goals and dreams, to have a picnic. For more information about our T-shirt day itself please scroll down to the previous article.
Children, teachers and volunteers felt the experience was fun, very rewarding and unforgettable. Each class formed a bond to their volunteer and it was difficult to separate and many were emotional in the end when volunteers had to say good-bye.
1700 children in Beijing, Dalian and Shanghai celebrate their T-shirt day
Shy smiles and nods with whispered “xie xies” gave way to large grins and excited exclamations as the children received their “Magic Backpacks” and opened them revealing a brand new t-shirt, fabric markers, coloured pencils, paper, hand wipes and a flavoured milk drink: T-shirt Day II had begun.
On June 2 and 3, at childcare facilities in Beijing and Shanghai, that included hospitals, migrant schools, shelters and orphanages, the Magic Hospital team with 100 volunteers arrived to help the children record hopes and dreams on their own piece of wearable art. More than 1,700 children participated in the event scheduled to coincide with Children's Day.
Some children were quick to take pen to shirt drawing a kaleidoscope of flowers, animals, hearts and houses while others took their time savouring the receipt of a new piece of clothing still in it's packaging. Olympic rings appeared on many shirts this year just as the rest of China is swinging into the momentum of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with the clarion call “one world, one dream”. Magic Hospital wishes to spread that same spark to these children, so often ignored by the main stream. None of us know what each of their dreams and desires are, until they are encouraged and individually expressed.
T-shirt day will come to about 300 children in Chongching some time in August.
Magic Hospital is already working towards T-shirt Day-III in hopes to provide what one little girl told a volunteer was “the best day of her life” for even more children next year.
MH launches the music development and therapy program pilot project
The Music Development and Therapy Program aims to provide the positive power of music to underprivileged and sick children. For children from migrant school and orphanages, program planners, team leaders and members will put together weekly sessions and create new programs that combine music with movement, dance, instrumental knowledge and children songs. For children at the hospitals, volunteers will provide warm and loving music sessions through therapeutic music sharing and simple movements that go with cheerful tunes. Our volunteer musicians are passionate and include music lovers, teachers, professional performers and amateurs.
The first beneficiary of this new program is the Guang Ai Migrant School, where a team of volunteers visits every Saturday morning to carry out the music sharing session. The children are introduced to music from various cultures, learn how to read notes, clap rhythms and move their bodies to the music!
The pilot program will last for 2 months. If you would like to be part of the program or simply know more about it then please drop us an email to musictherapy@magichospital.org
Workshop II in art therapy and T-shirt day in Shaanxi Province
Magic hospital mobile team provide the second part of a training series of art and music therapy workshops from November 22 to 26 with a total of 10 participants including care takers, educators, and psychologists (please scroll down to see our article about the first training in Shaanxi)
This training module focused on teaching the participants to assist the psychological needs of traumatized children through Expressive Arts Therapy such as art, music and play therapy. Participants presented to the group their experiences demonstrating how the course in art therapy sofar has been a key element in providing relief to traumatized children.
“Since the first course participants have gone a long way with the implementation of expressive arts therapy in their center. They are not only able to demonstrate knowledge on arts therapy, but also design art therapy activities for trauma resolution and present useful case studies in a professional way” said course provider and certified art therapist Carla Ortiz.
Gurucharan Khalsa PhD (Child psychologist) and Caroline Maxwell ( Nurse happened to join the magic team and supplemented the workshop by introducing relaxation techniques such as visualization and alternative therapies in order to alleviate and decrease stress and tension in children, but also in care givers.
Dr G. Khalsa further advised participants about specific needs assisting the children's individual needs and kindly offered to support the workshops and their successful implementation by continuous support and mentoring.
PLUS: we also took advantage of the opportunity and did a T-shirt day on a smaller scale with the children Again it was a lot of fun!!! (Please scroll down for the first T-shirt day for 1,500 children)
The MH mobile team feels really satisfied with the success of these pilot trainings and we strive to continue this important mission as to assist the helpers in providing healing through psychological support for children in need.
