Record total of K2.5 million raised for Operation Open Heart

 A RECORD K2.5 million was raised for this year’s Operation Open Heart during its major fundraising event last Thursday night at Club Motukea near Port Moresby.

And one of the world’s pop music icons, Leo Sayer, was the special guest and did all he could to take control of his audience and mesmerise them with some of his famous hit songs such as I love you more than I can say.

The audience sang and danced along with him as he kept telling them: “You are incredible audience. It’s so great to be here. It is fantastic. It’s great pleasure coming here.” 

The aim of the event was to raise funds to save lives of children in PNG who are suffering from various heart diseases through its operation open heart programme.

Patron and Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko confirmed the amount raised and thanked the private sector, politicians and private individuals who pledged their support and funds for the worthy cause.

Major donations came from: 

l Prime Minister Peter O’Neill with K250,000 from the National Gaming Control Board; 

l East Sepik Governor Sir Michael Somare – K105,000; 

l Hastings Deering – K50,000; 

l Curtain Bros owner Sir Mick Curtain – K50,000; 

l NCD Governor Powes Parkop – K30,000; 

l Health Minister Michael Malabag – K30,000; 

l Brian Bell – K20,000; 

l Westpac Bank – K20,000; 

l Hitron – K10,000; and 

l PNG Forest Products – K10,000.

Tkatchenko, who is also the Minister of Sports and Pacific Games, said the amount raised was historic for the programme and assured the people of PNG, including business houses, politicians and private individuals, who contributed, that every toea would be accounted for and would go towards fixing the hearts of people, especially children.

He said the operation open heart programme, which would run for 10 days at Port Moresby General Hospital next month, would operate about 60 to 70 children, who were suffering from various heart diseases.

Tkatchenko said a team of about 50 medical officers from Australia, comprising doctors and nurses, would work alongside their local PNG counterparts to carry out the operation open heart programme.

He added that he was hopeful this year would be a very successful year of the programme 

as they had raised about K1.3 million more from last year’s K1.2 million.