Giving Back will hold its second fund-raiser Saturday with a concert and raffle at the Bull and Barrel in Itaewon.
The volunteer group, which started last year, runs English classes for underprivileged children in Seoul, and funds will go toward buying school books and materials for the spring semester. The organizers, Yvette Park and husband Barry Smith, also hope to have some money left over for extra activities for the children.
“We had 45 students and the kids have all been doing well,” said Smith. “We have just done our level testing for the second semester and we have 67 students now, so it’s become more popular.”
Although a full-blown outing has proved difficult to organize, there were weekend Halloween and Christmas parties for the kids, with the second featuring a secret Santa paid for by online donors.
The entertainment will start at 7 p.m. with a traditional Irish band, followed by rapper Skizzo, singer-songwriter Dara Sheahan, indie group Verity & Ava and Solga, a Korean folk singer-songwriter.
There will also be a raffle with prizes including restaurant and bar vouchers, Quality Street chocolates and T-shirts.
Smith said he was hoping to raise around 2 million won ($1,900) for the project, but added that they were looking for volunteer teachers who could donate their services for classes, which run on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. near Mapo District Office. The spring semester runs from Feb. 12 to July 23.
