It’s been a memorable year for KKOOM as fan groups for a Korean actress and pop band reached out to us separately to help raise money for the children we serve. In August, loyal fans of BTS called “BTS One In An ARMY” created a birthday fundraiser in honor of BTS member Jungkook (#DreamWithJungkook).
With over 33,000 Twitter followers, BTS One In An ARMY members far and wide gave so much joy and love to Korean children. By encouraging micro-donations of one to three dollars, BTS One In An ARMY raised $3,844 for KKOOM. With their 279 donations in one month, it helps KKOOM send HyungJun to preschool for one year while also providing three semester scholarships to Se-Hee and YongHoon, our college scholars.
Not only did they raise money for us, but they also sent heartfelt cards to the children. They were all mailed to our Chief Administrator’s mailing address in the United States so she could give them out during our Christmas parties. KKOOM received 238 letters, postcards, and notes of love for Korean children. Thirty-two people from 17 different countries made sure the children knew how loved they were, sending positive cheerful messages.
At Samsungwon, the children curiously read their letters, whether they were in English, Korean, or a few phrases written in other languages, such as Spanish or Arabic. They were asking house mothers to help translate some of the letters. Without a doubt, they know how giving the BTS Army group is.
In November, a fan group for Korean actress Chae Soo Bin in New Zealand asked if they could raise money for KKOOM for their #5hineWithSoobin campaign. We thank Czarina, the representative for their New Zealand fan group for helping KKOOM with our holiday campaign designs. She created our main flyer “Believe in Joy” and also created our “This Christmas I want” graphics to showcase the wish list items for the children.
KKOOM loves partnering with other organizations to help bring more awareness on how we can improve the lives of Korean children together. We welcome any individual or group fundraising efforts. If you’re interested in hosting a fundraiser, we invite you to contact our Chief Administrator at grace.lee@kkoom.org for more information.