In celebration of Tzu Chi's 60th anniversary, the Tzu Chi North Toronto Office held its Year-End Blessing ceremony in Markham on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Francis Leung)

In 2026, Tzu Chi reaches a crucial milestone as it approaches its 60th anniversary. On the afternoon of January 24th, despite the outdoor temperature dropping to minus double digits, the Angus Glen Community Centre in Markham was filled with warmth and abundant goodwill. The Tzu Chi North Toronto Office grandly hosted the "2025 Year-End Blessing and Thanksgiving Ceremony" here. The event attracted over 230 guests and community members, along with dozens of Tzu Chi volunteers, gathering together to look back on the footprints of love over the past year and spread the core values of "Gratitude, Respect, and Love" to every corner of the community.

Never Forget the Original Intention: The "Bamboo Bank Era" Gathers Drops of Great Love

At 12:00 PM, volunteers arrived at the venue to set up with Tzu Chi's humanistic touch, highlighting the Year-End Blessing theme: "Never Forget the Original Intention of the Bamboo Bank Era." During the "Bamboo Banks Return Home" segment before the official start of the event, many attendees brought their heavy, coin-filled bamboo banks. Touched by the atmosphere, Roza, a Ukrainian refugee who has received long-term care from Tzu Chi, along with her nephew Pavlo and niece Darianna, also brought their bamboo banks full of love and personally poured them into the urn, demonstrating the beautiful cycle of love and kindness.

The event kicked off with the host, Sister Sammi Shu-Fang Huang. After the entire audience sang the Canadian national anthem, they watched the "2025 Tzu Chi North Toronto Year in Review" and the "Tzu Chi Global Year in Review," looking back at the footprints of love left by volunteers globally and in the local Canadian communities.

Executive Director Expresses Gratitude; Three Levels of Government Officials Gather to Witness

In his speech, the Executive Director of the Tzu Chi Foundation Canada, Eastern Office, Brother Andersen Chu, expressed three sincere thanks: gratitude for the guidance and partnership of the distinguished guests and collaborating organizations; gratitude for the loving donations and support of the donating members; and gratitude for the professional dedication and harmonious cooperation of all volunteers, who turned compassion into concrete actions to fulfill the mission of helping others.

The grand event was star-studded, with politicians from all three levels of Canadian government and community leaders attending to deliver speeches and present certificates of appreciation. Member of Parliament Vincent Ho, representing Richmond Hill South, shared that he grew up in a Buddhist family, emphasizing that being willing to pause and help those in need is not only a Buddhist value but also a core Canadian value. Member of Provincial Parliament Bill Pang expressed his gratitude on behalf of the provincial parliament and even sang a song on the spot to praise the volunteers' compassion. Richmond Hill Mayor David West highly commended the volunteers for responding to the community's truest needs in a "down-to-earth" manner, describing their dedication as "quiet" yet full of "power," and humorously wished everyone a happy new year in Mandarin with a "Richmond Hill accent." City Councillor Castro Liu humorously mentioned that he had already enrolled the Mayor in Tzu Chi's newly established TCML Adult Mandarin Class, looking forward to his improved Chinese next year. City Councillors Simon Cui and Michael Shiu also thanked Tzu Chi for bringing Great Love deep into Richmond Hill to benefit the surrounding people.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti praised Tzu Chi's relief power based on "Gratitude, Respect, and Love," commending the volunteers for their rapid mobilization when disasters strike. City Councillor Amanda Collucci praised Tzu Chi for setting the best example of "giving" and "mutual assistance." City Councillor Isa Lee shared her personal experience of helping Tzu Chi transport supplies to the food bank. City Councillor Ritch Lau enthusiastically cheered "Tzu Chi is the best" in Mandarin, stating that Tzu Chi's dedication is a blessing to neighboring cities.

York Region District School Board (YRDSB) Trustee Michael Chen specially thanked Tzu Chi for its profound contributions in assisting food banks, domestic violence centers, and other areas.

Director Lawrence Yi-Peng Liang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Toronto also attended the event in person, highly praising Tzu Chi as "Taiwan's pride and treasure." Director Liang specially thanked the Tzu Chi Academy North Toronto for establishing Canada's first Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML), promising to continue providing necessary resources and deepening Taiwan-Canada cultural exchanges through cooperation with the Tzu Chi Foundation. Other distinguished guests witnessing the grand event included Director Paul Lan and Deputy Director Daphne Hsu of the Culture Centre, President Tim Chuang of the Taiwan Chambers of Commerce in Canada, and Chairwoman Katherine Yang of the��International Mandarin Teachers Association of Canada.

Safeguarding Life: Donating $10,000 CAD to Markham Stouffville Hospital

Tzu Chi has long supported local healthcare. During the event, a check for $10,000 CAD was officially presented to Markham Stouffville Hospital. Vice President Rosanna Petricca, receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, highly praised Tzu Chi volunteers as "invaluable treasures of the community." She pointed out that the Tzu Chi North Toronto Office's cumulative donations to the hospital over the years have reached nearly $150,000 CAD, which has been widely used to upgrade medical equipment in the cancer center, pediatrics, diagnostic services, and mental health, making Tzu Chi an indispensable and strong backbone for the hospital in safeguarding lives.

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Warming the Winter: Social Welfare Partners Build a Network of Goodwill Together

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Representatives from several long-term collaborating social welfare organizations also took the stage to share touching stories of Tzu Chi volunteers "fulfilling their missions." Marney Beck Robinson, representing the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank, pointed out that the number of families served daily has surged from over 30 in 2017 to over 85 recently. Without Tzu Chi's help in the warehouse and material donations, they would face immense operational pressure. Pamela Deveaux, Manager at the Yellow Brick House domestic violence shelter, movingly shared that many women and children flee abusive homes with nothing. Whenever she asks for help to prepare "transitional settlement kits," volunteers always manage to gather daily necessities and children's toys within a few days to help them rebuild their lives. Mary Ann Prolux, LOFT Coordinator, stated that since their partnership began in 2014, Tzu Chi has never disappointed her with the monthly "urgent wish lists" (such as sleeping bags, insect repellent, sunscreen, warm blankets, etc.), always delivering on the mission. Angela Kesthley, founder of Milkbag Unlimited, also attended the event, praising Tzu Chi members for "truly taking action" and walking down-to-earth among the people to meet the most urgent needs of the recipients.

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Sister Teresa Yee,��Director of the Tzu Chi North Toronto Office, gave a speech thanking everyone for braving the severe cold to attend. She emphasized that the promotion of the affairs over the past year was due to the dedication of countless volunteers regardless of the weather, as well as the selfless support of the donating members behind the scenes. This shared "compassion" is the greatest driving force supporting Tzu Chi to go further. Subsequently, the audience joyfully received Master Cheng Yen's blessing red envelopes and the "Blessing and Wisdom Rice" souvenirs. Amidst the sounds of prayer as everyone lit their heart lamps together, they sincerely prayed for the purification of human hearts, a harmonious society, and a world free of disasters.

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Inheriting Humanistic Education and Promoting the TCML Adult Mandarin Class

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Looking back at Tzu Chi's six decades, education has always been at its core. On stage, kindergarten students from the Tzu Chi Academy North Toronto performed the sign language song "Children of the Earth" with innocence. Second-grade students presented "The Three Nones of the World" (Universal No Enemies, No Strangers, No Regrets). Tzu Chi sisters interpreted "Gratitude, Respect, and Love" with solemn and graceful sign language, and their sincere performance deeply touched people's hearts.

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Lighting the Heart Lamps, Praying for a Disaster-Free World

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Towards the end of the event, while lighting the heart lamps, we looked back on the arduous journey Tzu Chi has traversed over the past sixty years, becoming even more certain of our expectations for the future. We are grateful for the long-term support and companionship of our members; because of you, this lamp of hope can continue to shine in Canada, warming the next six decades.

In the new year, let us continue to use Great Love as a bridge, gather our compassionate thoughts, and sincerely pray for social harmony and world peace.

Attendee Bing Yao shared his touching experience of attending for the first time: "There are still many people in this world who need our love and help. This event is an excellent transmission of values for children, teaching them to care for the people around them."

Pavlo, a Ukrainian refugee who has received Tzu Chi's care for about three years, also made an emotional confession: "If I hadn't met Tzu Chi volunteers, I might not be living here anymore. They gave me the motivation to stay here, work, and keep learning." (Note: Pavlo's family has not yet obtained permanent resident status and cannot afford expensive university tuition. After graduating from high school this year, he will look for a job first.)

In addition, students from the TCML Adult Mandarin Class also shared their own heartwarming stories. Sohel Suterwala, a registered accountant of Indian descent, brought his Taiwanese girlfriend to the Year-End Blessing; he is diligently learning Chinese to interact with her family. Jane, a student of Filipino descent, has already been volunteering at the North Toronto Liaison Office for two years, and she specially invited her Filipino friends that day to experience the warm Great Love of Tzu Chi people. Principal Jane Shu-Chen Huang also hopes to further promote the "TCML Municipal Class" in the future to foster multicultural integration.