I Want To Share Foundation’s Charity Gala 2025: Kindness has no price tag
They are children “too young to fight alone.” So the I Want To Share Foundation (IWTS), since 2013, has made the children’s battle against cancer bearable — and, with God’s mercy, winnable — by raising funds for their welfare.
Last Friday, the foundation, led by cancer survivor Sheila Romero, raised P88 million (and counting) to make sure the young warriors at the pediatric hematology-oncology department of the Philippine General Hospital would have ammunition to sustain them in the battleground.
“I am overwhelmed by the goodness in this room,” Sheila told the members of the well-heeled audience, numbering over 500, at the Shangri-La The Fort in BGC. “You have come together not for a celebration of success or luxury, but for something far more meaningful: to fight for children too young to fight alone.”
Indeed, the stars of the night were the young and brave warriors who sashayed on stage as they proudly and joyfully donned the creations of Ivar Aseron, Dennis Lustico, Michael Leyva and Francis Libiran. It was a touching moment to see children having fun and displaying their spunk on the runway — in a show directed by Robby Carmona. For a while, for a meaningful moment, they forgot about their infirmity. Hope was written clearly on their faces. They knew that kindness of people would heal them so they gave their electrifying best shot on stage. Even Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray walked with them and Gary Valenciano serenaded them. That moment in time — if adulation and applause were the only requisite for their cure — they were healed.
Sheila told the guests she was hoping to raise P15 million that night through donations and an art auction (works of Ramon Orlina, Elmer Borlongan, Ronald Ventura, Manny Garibay, Jigger Cruz, Eugenia Alcaide, Daniel Dela Cruz, Ayka Go, Jinggoy Buensuceso, Yeo Kaa and Didier Alarcon) to complete the Philippines’ first charity bone marrow transplant unit in the Philippines.
“In seven months, we will witness the completion of not only two specialized rooms, as originally planned, but an entire wing and a nurses’ station,” said Sheila.
Sheila also said that the fundraising that night would be used to donate 50 infusion pumps (worth P3.2 million) to the PGH Cancer Institute. She was forthright that the money the foundation would raise that night would help support the “survivorship programs of the foundation” to assist with necessary tests needed like MRI, and provide hearing aid apparatus to monitor the children post-chemotherapy or surgery. Sheila explained children undergoing chemotherapy experiences hearing loss.
God and “the generous angels” heard the prayers of Sheila and the board of I Want To Share Foundation that the target amount P88 million. That’s P28 million from ticket sales, donations and auction; and P60 million from “one angel alone.”
Last Friday’s charity was the second time IWTS held its fundraising gala. The first one, held in 2023, gathered more than P19 million that was used to fund the first Childhood Cancer Helpline, in partnership with PGH. The project was successful in its aim to combat delayed diagnoses by guiding the families of the kids to the appropriate primary, secondary or tertiary healthcare facilities as specified by the Department of Health. The charity fundraising two years ago also helped secure the funding for the construction of two specialized rooms dedicated to bone marrow transplants.
With all these efforts, the foundation aims to help increase the country’s childhood cancer survival rate from 30 percent to 50 percent.In the past eight years, IWTS has been a conduit in the healing journey of about 4,500 children.
Kindness poured like rain that night. Dr. Vicki Belo, whose Belo Medical Group was major presenter of the gala, said, “No one has to go through this alone. When we make decisions to care, miracles do happen.”
The miracles were presented that night when five boys and girls, now on remission, owned the stage to be recognized as young warriors.
“These kids with beautiful souls remind us of what real courage looks like. These kids are fighters, dreamers and absolute heroes,” Vicki added.
Miracles continued to walk on the ramp that night as “supermodels” masquerading as warrior kids displayed their joy for all to see and reflect on. These kids with cancer have a battle ahead of them. The battlefield is real, fierce, painful. But the kids know kindness heals. They soldier on knowing fully that in this fight, they are not alone.
“Tonight, we are not just fundraising. Together, we are building places where healing can happen, where compassion leads. And where no Filipino child is left behind in the fight against cancer. Not in our watch. Not tonight,” Sheila concluded.
(I Want To Share Foundation can be reached through [email protected] or through Facebook I Want To Share Foundation and IG @iwanttosharefoundation.)
For your new beginnings, e-mail me at [email protected]. I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed weekend.
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