“Share your Christmas”, a fundraising campaign started by IYC Suomi in the city of Helsinki, has closed, collecting 2.574€. This successful number has been reached thanks to the involvement of volunteers, entities, companies and organizations around the region of Uusimaa in south Finland.
This initiative aimed to collect funds that will be used to buy Christmas gifts for children at risk of exclusion and poverty from Peru and Mexico. The goal was to make them experience the magic of Christmas and draw a smile on their faces while they opened their presents with the biggest of emotions.
The project included several actions and activities that were driven to promote the fundraising race, introduce the campaign, ask for donations, and seek potential collaborators, among other aims. The support received has been quite remarkable, as 14 entities (organizations, institutions, and companies) have helped with the development of the campaign.
Furthermore, the participation of young people presented a great contribution to the initiative, as 50 volunteers played a fundamental role in some of the activities, contributing to achieving their goals.
As for the project, the main event was the Solidarity Gala hosted at Hanken University, where the project was introduced to the people and there was offered a great show with live music, food, and traditional dances from Peru and Mexico. Most of the donations were made during the gala. People enjoyed, knew a bit more about the Peruvian and Mexican culture, and could know to whom they were sending help.
The money has already been transferred to Mi Pequeña Familia Orphanage and the Social Lunchroom of Huancavelica, the organizations we were cooperating with. The beneficiaries of both places, in the majority, children between 5 and 12 years old, could enjoy the magic of Christmas, as they woke up the morning of the 6th of January with one present for them.
The cornerstone of this project was to believe in the essence of Christmas: To Share. And this was spread to many people who decided to share their time to let others be happy and enjoy this time of the year. Now, more than 50 children have experienced the magic of Christmas, and we cannot say anything other than thank you so much to those who have made it possible.
