“My staff will deposit 100k to ChildHaus today. Read an article about ChildHaus last December 24 and since I have excess funds remaining for charity this year, I decided to give it to ChildHaus. God bless us all.” — Dragon xs, Friends of Hans
That’s the big surprise that Ricky Reyes (fondly called Mader Ricky) received at the start of the New Year. The STAR has been reporting that since SM magnate Hans Sy came into the fold of ChildHaus, a temporary shelter for children with cancer put up 15 years ago by Ricky, donations have been pouring like manna from heaven.
“The donations just come without our asking for them,” said Ricky. “They come from people who don’t want their identities revealed, just like the New Year donor.”
It was Hans, the godfather of ChildHaus, who donated two buildings for Ricky’s long-running charity project, one in Paco, Manila, and the new one in Quezon City for the convenience of the patients and their families/guardians.
Ricky happily noted that Hans’ good deed has generated a ripple effect on other businessmen and inspired others to come out of their way to also help the sick. He has inspired other good Samaritans.
Added Ricky, “Who would expect that a busy young magnate like Hans would still have the time to talk to me about the wellness of the Center and the children it serves. Hans would sometimes cut short his trips and cancel some appointments just to join in some important occasions at the Center. He would always come to ChildHaus together with his wife Carol and their children. Our Christmas party last December was extra special since the family spent a lot of time with the children.”
Upon the invitation from Ricky to ChildHaus events, Your Funfarer has witnessed how Hans would tag along some of his friends from the business circle and personally escort them on a tour around the Center. One time to entertain the children, Hans brought along the NU basketball team. And always, he would invite the children to entertainment events at SM Malls and SM MOA Arena, like during the visits of NBA superstar Lebron James.
Last year, according to Ricky, Hans helped the mothers to be productive even while taking care of their children. He put up a livelihood program designed to help the mothers earn a living.
With Ricky at the helm, the parents/caregivers in ChildHaus collaborated with some bag makers to help in accessorizing export-quality bags. The effort paid off. Hans committed to provide a free space at SM North EDSA for the products to be sold. It was just a beginning, and Hans and Ricky were just too happy with the fruitful result.
Hans truly deserves the honor bestowed on him by Forbes magazine as one of the “Heroes of Philanthropy” for the year 2019. ChildHaus residents fondly call him Kuya Hans.
“He is happy with the citation but quite a bit embarrassed as he is humbled by what he does for ChildHaus,” noted Ricky. “I think what he considered his big reward is seeing the happy faces of the children at ChildHaus and their grateful parents. Ever since Hans came to ChildHaus, the Center has turned a lot of people into good Samaritans from various sectors of society.”
Three cheers to Kuya Hans, an angel without wings!
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)