Sunil Tuli, Group CEO of King Power Group (Hong Kong) and President of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA), has visited the Baidya & Banskota (B&B) Hospital in Kathmandu following the completion of his epic trek to Mount Everest Base Camp to raise funds for international cleft charity Smile Train.
As reported, Sunil raced past his original US$35,000 fund-raising target announced at The Moodie Davitt Report’s Smile Raising charity dinner in Singapore on 6 May.
Buoyed by overwhelming travel retail industry support, Sunil doubled the target to US$70,000, a figure he has also surpassed. As of today (11 September), donations had reached US$76,855.
A life-changing Smile Train-supported cleft surgery can cost as little as US$250-350. Every cent raised will go directly to the Smile Train clinic at B&B Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, which Sunil and his wife Shikha visited earlier this year. No costs of any kind will come off the total amount raised.
Sunil has arrived at the Baidya & Banskota (B&B) Hospital in Katmandu to help celebrate a 15-year partnership between the hospital and Smile Train.
As he points out via Facebook, his wife Shikha had joined him on a visit earlier this year. “They were expecting her too, but unfortunately she couldn’t. They honored us by putting our names [on welcoming signs and a gift describing them as ‘Smile Makers’] and making me the chief guest at the function.
“Very powerful and moving speeches and performances by some of the patients. Look at the difference made to their lives by Smile Train.”
Smile Train’s Area Director, South Asia Renu Mehta, had flown in from Delhi, India, and helped organize the event.
Sunil continues: “I had the opportunity to meet patients, doctors, the hospital owners, and all the staff who care so much for these kids…see for yourself the difference a simple surgery can make.
“We’ve raised US$77,000 and all of it goes towards these surgeries.
“I loved my walk in the park (Sagarmatha National), and the smiles we’ll bring make it all worthwhile.” He finished the post with a quick line that he would be “heading home to Singapore soon”
By_BK Min, KDFN kdf@kdfnews.com
Source_©The Moodie Davitt Report
The summary of this article is as follows.
■킹파워 그룹 CEO 수닐 "아이들에게 미소를 찾아주세요"...아름다운 인생 기부 '스마일 트레인'
구순구개열(언청이)을 앓고 있는 전 세계 어린이들이 무료로 수술을 받을 수 있도록 자선활동을 하는 '스마일 트레인(Smile Train)' 모금 운동에 홍콩 킹파워 그룹(King Power Group) CEO이자 아시아태평양 여행 소매협회(APTRA) 회장인 수닐 툴리(Sunil Tuli)가 3만5000달러 모금 목표액을 초과 달성했다.
수닐 툴리는 지난 5월 싱가포르에서 열린 '스마일 레이징(Smile Raising) 자선 만찬에서 여행 소매 업계의 기금 모금 운동 동참을 요청했다. 업계의 기부 동참에 목표 모금액은 빠르게 달성됐다. 이에 수닐은 목표 금액을 7만 달러로 늘렸다. 지난 11일, 이 모금액도 7만6855 달러를 달성했다.
구순구개열 수술 금액은 250-350달러 정도다. 하지만 무료 수술 지원으로 미소를 찾은 아이들의 인생은 그 가치를 매길 수 없다.
이번에 모금한 기부금 전액은 네팔 카트만두 B&B 병원의 스마일 트레인 클리닉으로 전달된다. 모금액 100%는 수술 비용으로만 사용된다.
수닐은 페이스북을 통해 “간단한 수술이 가져올 수 있는 아이들의 놀라운 변화를 봐야 한다"며 "스마일 트레인 기부를 통해 우리가 선물한 미소의 가치는 이 사회를 아름답게 만들 것"이라고 말했다.
사진=무디 리포트(©The Moodie Davitt Report)
민병권 기자 kdf@kdfnews.com
