It was a sold out gala fundraiser at Surrey’s Grand Taj Thursday night, for the victims of last weekend’s deadly typhoon in the Philippines.
The event drew not only local Filipinos but hundreds from the Indo-Canadian community.
Event organizer Surrey businessman Sukhi Bath estimates over a thousand people showed up to enjoy some food and entertainment, with all proceeds going to relief efforts.
He explains what motivated him to put on the fundraising party. “I wanted to put two communities under one roof. We are united. They need us and we are here for them.”
He is confident the amount he will be donating will be substantial.
“If it is sold out, and a lot of my business community comes through, my goal is $50,000,” Sukhi Bath had said. But ultimately $100,000 were raised for relief, double the amount that Sukhi Bath had been anticipating.
The vast majority of the party-goers didn’t have a personal connection to the affected area, but feel compelled to help out financially.
“We are going to donate money to them so they can eat food and buy necessities,” said one woman.
“There is overwhelming support here, which is fantastic,” said a man of Fijian descent.
“We have to support them and do anything we can,” said another man.
This kind of response was expected even when Uttarakhand was in deep trouble, and more than 2000 people died.