Piano for peace: How I hosted my first recital to raise money for people in need
Towards the end of 2023, when the Gaza conflict re-ignited, and after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I knew I wanted to help. I didn’t want to take a side. I just wanted to bring relief and support to people in these terrible situations.
Only a few organizations came to mind and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was the one that checked all the boxes for me.
I wanted to do something different for my fundraiser. As an amateur classical pianist, MSF gave me a fantastic reason and added motivation to push myself and organize my first public concert, Piano for peace. The recital was easy to set up, flawless to run and welcomed by my network of friends thanks to MSF’s respected neutrality and over 50-year history assisting people facing crises.
The unwavering support of my friends for both MSF’s tremendous work and my personal achievement made me surpass my anxiety and deliver a beautiful evening of music.
My recital successfully raised $4,155 for MSF. Because 95 per cent of MSF’s funding comes from private donors like you or me, I knew my contribution was helping to keep MSF independent.
I would encourage others to fundraise for MSF. After all, compassion has no boundaries.
