Cover We speak to chairwomen Audry Ai-Morrow and Anne Wang-Liu about the upcoming Fayre of St. John’s, renamed the Fayre of Maggie’s, on December 10.

We speak to chairwomen Audry Ai-Morrow and Anne Wang-Liu about the upcoming Fayre of St. John’s, which has been renamed the Fayre of Maggie’s, taking place on December 10

This winter marks the seventh edition of the Fayre of Maggie’s, an annual Christmas fundraiser benefiting Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre (MCCCC) to raise funds for practical, emotional and psychological support––provided free to those fighting cancer.

Past events have seen some of society’s most familiar faces show their support, including Annabelle Bond, Tania Mohan, Esther Ma and Diana d’Arenberg. Yet this year, the event is cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead the team, led by Jennifer Cheung, Alison Falloon, Anne Wang-Liu and Audry Ai-Morrow, will hold a virtual concert. With guest performances by Sting, Rick Astley, Anthony Lun and Professor Walter, a reading by Michelle Reis and Toby Stephens and songs performed by Maggie’s Centre Music Therapy Choir and the Phoenix Singers, the evening will bring holiday cheer and awareness for the centre’s work in equal measure.

Anne Wang-Liu and Audry Ai-Morrow discuss the importance of MCCCC’s work, how they both got involved, the funds they have raised in 2020, and how they plan to go all-in next year. 

Buy tickets here and tune in on December 10 at 7pm HKT to the MaggiesCentreHK YouTube channel to watch the entire show.

Tatler Asia
HONG KONG,HONG KONG SAR,CHINA: DECEMBER 12th 2019. Maggies Cancer Centre annual St John’s Fayre
Above Audry Ai Morrow, Martha Keswick and Anne Wang-Liu pose for photos at the Fayre in 2019.

How did you first hear about MCCC?

Audry: I first heard about Maggie’s through Anne. She invited me to the first Fayre of St. John’s fundraiser and it touched my heart. I loved the unique nature of this event, which brought together centre users through song supporters including children through Christmas carols, mulled wine and a festive night. That evening, I learnt how Maggie’s provides practical, emotional and psychosocial support to people with cancer. 

Anne: I first heard about Maggie’s when I was asked to join the board of governors many years ago. We wanted a festive, family-friendly event as one of our fundraising initiatives and felt the Fayre of St John’s would be a lot of fun. Now it has become a holiday tradition.

What made you want to become involved with MCCC?  

Anne: When I first became involved with Maggie’s I had family members who were fighting cancer. I felt as though Hong Kong lacked some of the facilities that were needed to support patients and their families. While doctors are able to provide medical treatment, social support is also important in preventing the disease from progressing. Stress is a contributing factor to cancer. It’s already stressful being told you have the disease. A doctor briefs you, you walk out of their office and that’s it. But then where do you go? Who do you talk to?

Audry: Cancer has affected the lives of too many people. I have had family members that have suffered through its trials. My father was lucky enough to discover his liver cancer early enough before it spread. We thank my mum for telling my dad that he looked “off” and sent him to get a check-up. We celebrate his “new” birthday every year. It is a sad, scary and terrible disease, and too many are not lucky. We need to find a cure, but in the meantime, having a place for support is essential.

How have you had to change the event to make it possible to host it online? 

Anne: We have tried to keep the essence of the Fayre, therefore we will have festive reading, a Christmas carol sing-a-long, story-sharing and choir singing. It is our first time holding a virtual event so we have to adjust things like the production details, the event length and the performances. This has been a challenging year with the long period of social-distancing bringing us anxiety and stress. This year we are offering a family ticket package so that the Christmas concert can be treated as a chance to bring the whole family together and kick off the festive season. 

Will there be any special digital performances?

Audry: Yes, we have invited Anthony Lun to sing and Michelle Reis to do a reading. There will also be songs performed by the Maggie’s Centre music therapy choir, a group formed by people touched by cancer. It is sure to bring good cheer during this difficult time. 

How has Covid-19 impacted fundraising for MCCCC up to this point in the year? 

Anne: As a non-subvented [does not receive government support] charity, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre relies solely on fundraising events like the Fayre, grants and donations from individuals and businesses to provide timely support to cancer patients and their families. Covid-19 hit Maggie’s Centre even harder when corporations cut back on their charity budgets and many of our various fundraising events were cancelled or postponed. Maggie’s Centre has temporarily suspended face-to-face activities except for urgent cases, but we continue to provide phone and email consultations as well as online courses for people affected by cancer. It is important to ensure the services are still up and running so no one is left alone. As such, support from donors is especially important during Covid-19 for the ongoing operation of the centre.

What has MCCCC achieved this year? 

Audry: It is difficult to fundraise in tough economic times. However, we have encouraged donations so that we can maintain our cancer care services. Despite one of our signature fundraising events, Maggie’s Centre and AIA Group Charity Golf Day, being cancelled this year, we raised around HK$1.1 million, thanks to sponsors and donors.  Additionally, Maggie’s Centre holds various programmes during breast cancer awareness month and we are grateful to be the community partner of various brands, as this will raise public awareness and funds. We are also very proud of our Maggie’s Centre Music Therapy Choir. They have prepared a fantastic and encouraging music performance to lift up the community during the Fayre and raise funds for Maggie’s.

What are MCCCC plans for next year?

Anne: Maggie’s Centre will hold two signature fundraising events: Charity Golf Day and the Fayre of Maggie’s. We also hope to launch new virtual events so that we can reach an even wider audience. 

See also: The 12 Days Of Christmas Charity Initiative Brings Exclusive Dining Experiences Throughout December