4th Annual Maple Ball Charity Gala – Nov 10 2018

4th Annual Maple Ball Charity Gala – Save the Date

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018

Time: 6:30pm to 11:30pm

Venue: 3rd Floor Ballroom

Grand Hyatt Taipei; 信義區松壽路2號, Taipei, Taiwan 11051


Tables and Seating 

Table (10 seats) – NT $42,000
Individual seats for CCCT members – NT$4,500
Non-members – NT$4,800

Please contact the CCCT’s Executive Secretary Ms. Emily Wu at info@canchamtw.com for sponsorship opportunities, further information about our charity gala, and payment details.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezhD9u6tEVvdM0y6GiJ0BhdOWUypGbeqW3alVUhWwbKo3-mQ/viewform


The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, in partnership with MacKay Memorial Hospital and in cooperation with the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, is honoured to host its 4th Annual 2018 Maple Ball benefiting the Children’s Ward at MacKay Memorial Hospital.

Join us as we celebrate the long history between Canada and Taiwan and help us raise money for those in need.

The purpose of the CCCT Maple Ball Charity Gala is to raise money for MacKay Hospital’s Children’s Ward.

In 2016, through the generosity of our kind sponsors, we were able to raise over NT$402,000 for children in need.

In 2017, our kind sponsors and guests helped us raise over 460,000NT for a new bone marrow transplantation ward for the Children’s Wing at MacKay Memorial Hospital.

Through this event, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan helps MacKay Memorial Hospital continue to give back to the people of Taiwan.

What can we achieve in 2018 for children in need?

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezhD9u6tEVvdM0y6GiJ0BhdOWUypGbeqW3alVUhWwbKo3-mQ/viewform

EVENT SPONSORS



JusRegal CPA and Immigration

We are also looking for items to include in our Silent Auction and to our Raffle Prize List with all proceeds going to MacKay Hospital’s Children’s Ward. If you would like to support us in this way, we would be very happy to hear from you. ‘Tis the season for giving.

A Departing Message from Our Chairwoman Carrie Kellenberger

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Supervisors with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, we would like to thank our valued members and distinguished guests for attending the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s Annual General Meeting.

We would also like to thank you for your continued support and patronage to the Canadian Chamber.

This year has been another successful year for the Chamber, both in terms of activity and membership. The CCCT made great strides towards our mission objectives in 2017 and we had some huge successes in 2017 thanks to strong support from our members. None of our events would’ve been possible without their support in 2017.

We’d also like to thank the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei for their full support over the years and congratulate them on their own successes in 2017. It has been a pleasure for all of us here at the CCCT to assist the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and, in particular, I’d like to extend our sincere congratulations for their work with MOFA this year in projecting the Canada150 logo on the government building in downtown Xinyi for the first time ever.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such amazing synchronicity before outside an Olympic event.

Just as Mr. Ste Marie and his team were lighting up Xinyi with the Canada150 logo, our CCCT team was hanging the original Canada D’Eh sign at Taipei Hakka Cultural Park.

It was just one of many moments in 2017 that stood out in our minds, and we are so very grateful for CTOT’s help, support, and friendship.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge our platinum sponsors this year, including the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, the Alberta Office, Air Canada, and The Grand Hyatt Taipei for sponsoring two of our three signature events this year. These four members should be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Chamber.

Our members enjoyed a number of Chamber events because these four members were so involved with the funding of these events, especially Celebration Canada.

Just a few Canada 150 Volunteers with Director of Volunteers, Mr. Steven Clark.

The only way for us to throw a great Canada Day celebration and keep it free for the 60,000+ Canadians in Taiwan is to ensure that we have enough sponsors to help us throw the biggest Canada national day party in Asia.

Hosting an event like this is no small feat. It took months of prepping and teamwork to ensure that July 1st went off with a huge bang. (If you weren’t there for the fireworks show at the end of the night, we can assure you, it was one of our best yet!) I don’t think one person left the event without a smile on their face.

Just one of many board meetings to bring our events from us to you!

I’d like to thank our incredible all volunteer team, our Board of Directors and Supervisors for an incredible Celebration Canada in 2017. It was one of our best years to date, and it’s to these individuals that we owe our thanks, and to the volunteers on our committees who helped make our events a success.

Astronaut Scott Kelly wrote in his best selling novel Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery that:

“I’ve learned that an achievement that seems to have been accomplished by one person probably has hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people’s minds and work behind it, and I’ve learned that it’s a privilege to be the embodiment of that work.”

Truer words have never been spoken, especially when I think of our team, so thank you, Team Canada. Congratulations to every one of you who assisted with our events this year. You are incredibly dedicated and talented individuals and it was a pleasure to work with you these past two years.

In addition to our Celebration Canada event, we hosted our 3rd Annual Maple Ball Charity Gala. This annual event has supported MacKay Memorial Hospital Children’s Wing for the past three years. Funds that we earned at our 2017 Maple Ball Charity Gala went towards assisting the hospital in opening a new bone marrow transplantation ward.

Over the past three years, thanks to help from MacKay Memorial Hospital and the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, we not only raised NT$460,152 for the opening of new bone marrow transplantation ward, but we also met our goal of donating over 1 million NT to the hospital over the past three years!

I’d also like to thank our main event sponsors for the Gala: our main event sponsor for the evening was Air Canada.

Northland Power, Elixir Herbary, and Il Mercato were all event sponsors for the night. We’d like to thank them for their kind sponsorship of this event, because without their assistance, this cheque and our special evening wouldn’t have been possible.

Among our other networking and happy hour events, we were also able to launch our third signature event of the year and make it a huge success thanks to our Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan committee. This was a new initiative that we undertook in 2015 and it was a roaring success for two years in a row. We already have sponsors lining up for our 3rd Annual Dragons Chamber Taiwan in November 2018.

Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan works to bridge the fundraising gap for entrepreneurs who need to raise up to NTD5 million. The initiative takers to this event are experienced foreign entrepreneurs who have lived in Taiwan for many years and who understand the challenges of fundraising. For years, we have watched the TV show Dragon’s Den offer a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to meet and now we want to do something similar in Taiwan.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank our members and the Board of Directors for putting their trust in me for the past two years. It has been my great honor and a privilege for me to be associated with the Chamber and the good work it does in our community, The Chamber’s Board of Directors and committee members are always looking for new people to get involved and I encourage anyone who is interested and has time, to join us in this very worthwhile cause.

I never thought when I got involved with the Chamber that I would one day be at its helm, and it has honestly been one of the most positive and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I’ll leave it to our new Chairperson to announce the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s new Board of Directors and Supervisors, and I promise you will be hearing from him shortly.

We welcome you to get involved with our committees in 2018 if you’d like to volunteer your time. We’re always happy to have new hands on deck and new friends helping out. Thank you so much for coming out to join us at our AGM on February 13, 2018. We wish you a a prosperous Year of the Dog and a very happy New Year Lunar Celebration with your family and friends.

Thank you once again!

 

 

Carrie Kellenberger,

Chairwoman, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan 2016-2018

 


This year, we are bidding a fond farewell to Ms. Shannon Watson, Co-Chair of our Membership Committee, in 2018. Shannon has served on our Board for four years. Among her membership duties, Ms. Watson has worked on all our Committees to assist the Chamber whenever possible.

We would like to thank our Lady in Red for her tireless work with the CCCT. Thank you, Shannon. We wish you well on your next adventure.

The Advantages of Bone Marrow Transplantation for Children

Bone marrow transplantation is an effective therapy for children suffering from diseases such as Leukemia, Lymphomas, Aplastic anemia, Sickle cell disease, metabolic diseases, and other cancers.

Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue found inside of bones and it is responsible for the storage and development of the majority of the body’s blood cells. The goal of bone marrow transplants is to transfuse healthy bone marrow cells while also eliminating unhealthy bone marrow.

Children suffering from cancers must undergo intense rounds or chemotherapy and radiation, and during these procedures bone marrow becomes damaged or destroyed. Therefore bone marrow transplantation is an effective treatment method because it replaces diseased, nonfunctioning bonne marrow with healthy, functioning marrow. It also helps to restore the bone marrow’s function after high doses of radiation therapy.

This year the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Taiwan is honored to be assisting MacKay Memorial Hospital in opening a new bone marrow transplantation ward in the Children’s Wing of the hospital by raising funds through its 3rd Annual Maple Ball Charity Gala on November 4, 2017.

With the help of our sponsors and attendees, we are so pleased to be able to assist MacKay Memorial Hospital in funding for its new bone marrow transplantation ward for children who are suffering from life-threatening diseases.

Top Image Source

Colours of Peace by Vincent van der Pas 

 

MacKay Charity Gala

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan cordially invites you to attend our 

2nd Annual MacKay Charity Gala

Date: September 24, 2016

Time: 18:30-Midnight

Venue: The Grand Hyatt Hotel

Contact us by completing our Registration Form for this event.  

Table: NT$38,000
Individual seat (CCCT Member): NT$3,900
Individual seat (Non-member): NT$4,300


The annual MacKay Charity Gala is the largest formal event of the year hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. The event is run in partnership with the MacKay Memorial Hospital and the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei to raise money for the hospital.

It is a celebration of the strong links between Canada and Taiwan dating back more than 100 years when Dr. George Leslie MacKay first began his missionary work in Taiwan.

In 2015 more than 220 people joined the event which included wonderful food, live music, an opera performance and lots of new friends and memories.

In 2016, we expect the event to be even bigger as the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Come help us to celebrate this milestone with the Executive Director of the CTOT, Mario Ste-Marie along with many other representatives.

The MacKay Memorial Hospital is one of the most well-known and respected private hospitals in Taiwan. Its long standing service to the people of Taiwan have made it a great beneficiary.

Come out for a good cause. With your support the Canadian Chamber of Commerce will continue to be an active player in the Taiwan community.

Table: NT$38,000
Individual seat (CCCT Member): NT$3,900
Individual seat (Non-member): NT$4,300
Contact us by completing our Registration Form for this event. 

Are you interested in sponsoring our event? 

We are looking sponsors that would like to have their name associated with a high profile charity event. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please email us at info@cancham.tw. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Legacy of George Leslie Mackay

One of Taiwan’s best known and most loved expats was a Canadian man from Zorra Township in Oxford County, Canada, which is now known as the Province of Ontario.

His name was George Leslie Mackay and he was the first Presbyterian missionary to visit Formosa (Qing-era Taiwan). He arrived in Southern Taiwan on December 31, 1871 and began his life in Tamshui (Danshui) in northern Formosa in early 1872. He remained in Tamshui for 30 years until his death in 1901.

Mackay had the honor of being the first missionary to be dispatched by the Presbyterian Church of Canada. His mission was to bring the gospel to those who had not heard of Christ.

My commission is clear; I hold it from the King and Head of the church: …To get the gospel of the grace of God into the minds and hearts of the heathen, and when converted to build them up in their faith – that was my purpose in going to Formosa.” (Mackay p. 135)

Right from the very beginning, Mackay was known to avoid the small European community in the Tamshui area. The local European and Christian communities did not take well to his arrival. Moreover, the environment during that era was somewhat hostile for foreigners. Mackay was often labelled as a ‘foreign devil’ and a ‘black-bearded barbarian’, and the locals were reluctant to become involved with him.

Shortly after arriving he wrote:

“I am shut out from fellowship with Christian brethren, yet I am not lonely nor alone. I feel my weakness, my sinfulness, my unfaithfulness. I feel sad when I look around and see nothing but idolatry … I can as yet tell little about Jesus, and with stammering tongue. What can I do? Nothing; But, blessed thought, the Lord Jesus can do all things. .. Jehovah is my refuge and strength.” (Mackay p 18-19)

Since Mackay had no means to speak with his parish, he decided it was of the utmost importance that he learn the language. When he was not able to find a tutor, Mackay spend his time with local herds boys, and they agreed to teach him Taiwanese. He learned vernacular Taiwanese, the language that is spoken by the common people of Taiwan, and it was in this way that he was able to preach his basic gospel message.

Upon mastering Taiwanese, he helped to adapt the Taiwanese language to a written form by adapting the Latin alphabet to represent it phonetically. From then onwards, this style of writing was used by the Presbyterian missionaries and by the indigenous Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.

In addition to learning the local language, Mackay employed a number of different methods to find converts. He preached predominantly with aboriginals in mind, and his earliest converts were illiterate natives. He wasn’t a doctor of medicine, but he had sufficient skills in medicine to be able to provide aid to those who suffered from tropical diseases such as malaria. His most notable method at the time was an itinerant dentistry practice that he used to extract teeth, all while singing and preaching his message. He was eventually granted a honorary doctorate by Queen’s College in Kingston, Canada for his many achievements in Taiwan.

Danshui Foreigners' Cemetery

By 1888, he had 16 chapels and 500 converts among the native Taiwanese.

His marriage to a Taiwanese slave-woman named Tiu Chhang-miâ is also another example of Mackay’s success in going native to find converts. His marriage caused a considerable amount of controversy in Canada and in the foreign community in Formosa. However, his wife, known by the name of Minnie in the West, proved to be a formidable force in the mission. She helped to raise money in Oxford County for the construction of Oxford College in Tamshui, and she also acted as matron of the girls’ school. Their marriage was a happy one, and they had three children together.

In 1895, Dr. Mackay authored a missionary ethnography and memoir of his missionary experience in Taiwan in 1895. His book was called From Far Formosa: the island, its people and missions. It is is best known because of its defense of gender and racial equality, but it is also of importance to many historians and scholars because it lends an important anthropological understanding of Taiwan’s peoples and cultures during the nineteenth century in Taiwan.

Dr. Mackay is responsible for many incredible achievements in Taiwan, including the establishment of churches, schools, the first western medical hospital of its kind in Taiwan, and a dentistry practice for aboriginals. The churches that he founded eventually became part of the present Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.

Although Dr. Mackay achieved many incredible milestones during his lifetime in Taiwan, perhaps his most significant achievement was the building of the MacKay Memorial Hospital, which was established on December 26, 1912. It is one of the largest medical centers in Taiwan, and it is deeply rooted in the Presbyterian tradition.

The original Mackay Hospital was initially called Mackay Clinic, and it was built in Tamshui in 1880. The hospital was closed in 1901 at the time of Dr. Mackay’s death, but it reopened in 1905 and it was eventually relocated from Tamshui to Taipei in 1912. The hospital was renamed as the Mackay Memorial Hospital.

Mackay showed great love and pride for Taiwan and because of his achievements, he was eventually loved by Taiwanese and expats alike. Some families in Taiwan today, especially of lowland aboriginals of the Kavalan ancestry, can trace their surname to ‘偕’ (‘Kai’ or ‘Kay’), which not only demonstrates their love and respect for Dr. Mackay, but it also shows their family’s conversion to Christianity by Mackay.Mackay and wife grave

Dr. Mackay was one of those rare individuals who allowed himself to be transformed by the people he served, and his life is truly something to be celebrated. Taiwan would not be what it is today without George Leslie Mackay’s significant contributions.

He dedicated his life to bringing medical, dental, and spiritual guidance to the people of Taiwan, and was directly responsible for establishing more than 60 local churches, Oxford College (Aletheia University), the first girls’ school (Tamsui Girls’ School on the east side of Oxford College in 1884), and Tamsui Middle School, which is now known as Tamkang Senior High School.

Mackay might be unknown to most Western scholars of religion, but in Taiwan he is revered as Taiwan’s most famous ‘native son’. His story and memoir provide valuable insight into his life, background, and legacy, as well as the Taiwanese cultural background in which he worked. His lifetime achievements are a true demonstration to his love for Taiwan and its people.

How dear is Formosa to my heart! On that island the best of my years have been spent.
How dear is Formosa to my heart! A lifetime of joy is centered here.
I love to look up to its lofty peaks, down into its yawning chasms, and away out on its surging seas.
How willing I am to gaze upon these forever!
My heart’s ties to Taiwan cannot be severed! To that island I devote my life.
My heart’s ties to Taiwan cannot be severed! There I find my joy.
I should like to find a final resting place within sound of its surf and under the shade of its waving bamboo.
-“My Final Resting Place” by George Mackay

Event Recap: CCCT’s 1st Annual MacKay Charity Gala

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CCCT), in partnership with MacKay Memorial Hospital and in cooperation with the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei | 加拿大駐台北貿易辦事處 (CTOT), hosted our first Annual MacKay Charity Gala to benefit the MacKay Children’s Hospital.

MacKay Charity Gala 2015

The MacKay Charity Gala also honours 145 years of healthcare and welfare partnership between Canada and Taiwan. With the success of this year’s MacKay Charity Gala event, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CCCT) has provided additional funding to the MacKay Children’s Hospital. Your generosity has provided Taiwanese children in need with high-quality medical support and care.

We are very pleased to announce that we raised more than $10,000CDN for the Children’s Ward at MacKay Memorial Hospital.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce would like to express our gratitude to you for your support of our first MacKay Charity Gala. It is only because of your support that we were able to host such a successful event and make such a significant donation to the Children’s Wing of the Mackay Memorial Hospital.

The Seewalds

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to MacKay Memorial Hospital and to Dr Yang, as well as

Our Gold Sponsor

FemtoPath HongJing 弘晉有限公司

Our Silver Sponsors

Asclepiumm 艾斯克立必恩
Fortune Medical 富強醫材
HAN
AP Bio 亞力生醫

Thank you to our Silent Auction providers:

Special thanks to:

  • Dr. Kuo for the use of his artwork
  • JDT International
  • National Taiwan College of Performing Arts 臺灣戲曲學院
  • MacKay Gentlemen’s Quartet
  • and to the CCCT MacKay Charity Gala Committee and Vanessa van Dyck for their hard work and dedication to making this event a success!

Facebook – CCCT’s Mackay Charity Gala Gallery on Facebook for more photos.

Photos by Antonin Lee Photography