The France Macau Chamber of Commerce (FMCC) held a press conference yesterday on its upcoming charity gala in support of a sports day event for neurodivergent individuals.
The gala will take place on 19 September at MGM Macao’s Grand Ballroom, based on the theme of “Voyage on the Seine.” Some 300 of the Greater Bay Area’s business leaders, government officials and international representatives are expected to attend.
According to FMCC chairman Rutger Verschuren, the charity gala has been an annual highlight for the Chamber, out of the 50 to 70 events in its yearly calendar. Verschuren described the night as “an evening of elegance, entertainment [and] having fun,” but emphasised its philanthropic purpose as well. “Most importantly, I think, it is a platform where we come together to support Macao’s communities in need,” he said in his speech.
Proceeds from the gala will go towards hosting a Hengqin-Macau Inclusive Fun Day for neurodivergent individuals and their families on 22 November. According to Verschuren, the Fun Day will be the FMCC’s first cross-jurisdiction event, a milestone he finds fitting as the special economic zone has become increasingly integrated with Macao.
The Fun Day will be co-organised by two nonprofits supporting neurodivergent communities in the Greater Bay Area, representatives from both of which were present at the press conference: founder Charles He of the Zhuhai Autism Society and national director Hetzer Siu of the Macao Special Olympics.
According to He, the Zhuhai Autism Society focuses on supporting autistic individuals and their families through providing childcare, parenting workshops and similar services. Meanwhile, the Macao Special Olympics’s mission is to help those with intellectual disabilities thrive in society, said Siu: this is done through special needs education, training and employment support.
[See more: What I learned from raising a son with severe autism]
Verschuren told Macao News that the collaboration emerged organically from the chamber’s long-time cooperation with the Macau IC2 Association (for individuals with intellectual disabilities), while FMCC board member Ada Lo facilitated the connection with the Macao Special Olympics.
Although the Fun Day features athletic activities, “as the name reflects, this inclusive fun day… is more fun than competition,” He said. The autism campaigner expects around 100 families from each side of the SAR line to participate, for a total of 400 participants.
The gala will also feature an award ceremony for the Chamber’s 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Awards. Winning companies will receive one of three prizes: Best Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Best Small-to-Medium Enterprise (SME) and Best Project.
Now in their third edition, the awards reflect a genuine priority for FMCC members, according to Verschuren. “So many of our breakfast meetings or special days that we organise are related to ESG in some way, and there’s a lot of interest always to learn more,” he said, noting that the awards’ profile has risen in recent years and that “we’re getting more and more interest from companies.”
The gala, which will feature performances by Hong Kong band OnPoint and musicians from Macao live performance studio Royalstar, continues a legacy of philanthropic success, said Verschuren. According to Lo, last year’s event raised over 60,000 patacas in support of a paper recycling initiative by the poverty alleviation nonprofit Oxfam. The Chamber’s support directly contributed to 307,500 kilograms of paper being collected, Lo said.
Macao News is an official Macao media partner of the FMCC Charity Gala Dinner 2025.
