The art of giving: festival lauds retired star for philanthropic role after quake

When retired actress Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam saw that the Sichuan earthquake on May 12 had left thousands of people homeless, she contributed HK$1 million for tents to house families until they could find alternative accommodation.

Kwan (pictured) starred in many action and romance dramas with A-listers including Jet Li Lianjie in the classic Wong Fei-hung series as well as Jackie Chan and Andy Lau Tak-wah in the late 1980s and the 1990s.

On Monday evening, Kwan was among a host of movie stars and performers who each received an Outstanding Charitable Artiste Award 2008 at the Yan Oi Tong Charity Gala Dinner, part of the Hong Kong Art and Design Festival 2008. 'It was so spectacular,' said Marjorie Au, one of the organisers of the event at the Grand Hyatt hotel.

'For the past five years the Hong Kong Art and Design Festival has been handing out awards to those in design such as interior designers and architects. This was the first year that the awards have been given for charity work by artistes.'

Other award-winning celebrity recipients included: Connie Chan, Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin, Gigi Leung Wing-kei, Yu Mo-lin, Fredric Mao, Warren Mok Wah-lun, Angie Chiu, Gallen Lo Ka-leung, Simon Yam Tat-wah, Nancy Sit and Andy Hui Chi-on.