Amidst the harsh winter winds, a ceremony was held last December 19 to mark the 20thanniversary of Paradise Welfare Foundation in Paradia, located in Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul. About 150 attendees joined in the festivities to mark an important turning point in the Foundation’s history.

▲ Speech by Director Sungtae Yun  

This year’s commemorative ceremony is particularly meaningful since it offers us a chance to look back on our path over the past two decades. Following congratulatory messages from Honggil Uhm a professional mountain climber, Yusun Jung (professor of George Mason University in the US) and the singer Sean, a video clip was shown to get a snapshot of the Foundation’s 20 year-long history.  

▲ Award for best partner                                  ▲ Wookyoung Student’s Award

A plaque of appreciation was offered to those who served as a driving force for the Foundation’s progress. Disabled students who made outstanding efforts to overcome their challenges and students without disabilities but who acted on their true friendship with the disabled were also awarded the Wookyung Student’s Award. Teachers who won the competition for developingeducational content were also awarded a plaque and prize.

▲ Congratulatory performance (Gyewon Art School (upper left), Hee Gwan Bae, teacher(upper right), Isori Ensemble (bottom))

Congratulatory performances were not to be missed, either. Starting with the quartet by Kyewon Art School students, Hee Gwan Bae who is a teacher at a special education school and who participated, with the sponsorship of the Foundation, as the Korean representative in the 7th International Wataboshi Music Festival, held in Brisbane, Australia in 2003 also performed a wonderful song. ISORI Ensemble closed the performances with a beautiful rendition of Christmas carols.

▲ Jung-Gu district office receives donated rice

Thanks to those who offered their congratulations through rice, 550kg of rice was donated to Jung-Gu district office to be distributed to those in need. the Foundation has always been with those on the margins of our society throughout its 20 year-long history. We will continue to build on this momentum to console those in pain, share wisdom and offer new hope.