On the evening of September 16, 2023, at the Yao Foundation Charity Dinner held at the Galaxy Macau International Convention Centre, the sneaker auction signed by Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian fetched a sky-high price of 2.51 million yuan, raising 5.59 million yuan, and the proceeds of these auctions will be used to support children in poor areas, including providing educational resources, improving nutrition and providing medical services. These efforts will help improve the lives of thousands of children.
As a charity founded by Yao Ming, the Yao Foundation has gone through 15 years since its establishment in 2008. Every charity dinner attracted countless celebrities and personalities to participate, conveying the love and support for the underprivileged.
The dinner also brought together many celebrities. Founder Yao Ming and his wife Ye Li attended the red carpet ceremony together, showing everyone their determination and enthusiasm to devote themselves to public welfare undertakings together. Respected celebrities in the basketball industry such as UAE, Sun Yue, Zhu Fangyu, Liu Haoyuan and others also gathered at the scene to express their full support for the Yao Foundation and its mission.
In addition to insiders in the basketball circle, there are also well-known celebrities in other fields. Actor Chen Yibing, Chinese flyer Su Bingtian and football commentator Fan Zhiyi came to help, showing the common concern and participation of different industries in public welfare. It is worth mentioning that Yao Ming also brought his wife Ye Li, who is 17 years younger than him, to appear on the red carpet together, and the two supported each other and tacitly cooperated, attracting many eyes and applause.
In addition, NBA star Thomas Jr. was also invited to the dinner and expressed his blessings and support for the charity of Yao Foundation and the development of basketball in China. He communicated with Yao Ming and others on the spot, and actively participated in the event link, making the whole dinner more international.
This year's Yao Foundation Charity Dinner is not only a gathering activity, but also reflects the efforts of all sectors of society for charity. Through such an activity platform, celebrities from all fields gather together to form a strong and united force in public welfare. With their selfless dedication and care, they have passed on love and warmth to the elderly, children with special needs, poor students and other generations.