History Of ACMA Foundation

ACMA Foundation was formed in 1997, by members of the Australian Chinese Medical Association (ACMA). Dr Bernard Goh was the instigator of the Foundation. This was in response to voices in the community that the Chinese medical professionals were not community minded, and do not contribute back to our society.

The idea of a Foundation is to raise funds by various means, and using these funds to help various community groups in need.

The initial period was extremely difficult to raise funds. Dr Bernard Goh first attempt to raise money was to run a lottery with a prize money of a Mitsubishi Magna. The lottery just broke even.

In 2001, Dr Francis Ghan together with Dr Richard Heah and Dr Johny Wong proposed an Annual Charity Gala Dinner. The first dinner was at Chateau Moteur, Mercedes Benz show room. It was a great success, and the start of an annual event up to 2019 , when Covid hit the world.

The event was held in November annually and usually well attended . The last few years , it was held at the Sir Donald Bradman room of Adelaide Oval.

Very prominent speakers had attended our Gala Dinner, amongst them Dr Charlie Teo and Dr Richard Harris. Dr Harris gave a captivating speech on the Thai Cave rescue from beginning to end.

Over the years, the Foundation has donated and helped numerous community groups and charities. It is estimated that over twenty years the Foundation has raised close to one million dollars, about half of which had been donated,

In the last few years, it has also started an annual Blanket Appeal Dinner to raise money for the homeless. From this event we donated close to 50 k to Sunday Mail Blanket Appeal and Hutt St Cenre.

Apart from charity, the Foundation over the years had supported educational institutions, by way of honouring top students in the Faculty of Medicine at both Adelaide University and Flinders University through academic prizes.

It has also honoured top year 12 students in the Chinese language.

For some years it also honoured students from disadvantaged background through an annual multicultural year 12 prize for the best student.

A list of all our charities the Foundation had donated over the years can be found on another page.

In the last two years, the Foundation association and collaboration with ACMA has changed. The Foundation would now broaden its base support from the wider community, especially professionals and businesses. This is in keeping with its charter of helping and servicing the larger community in need.

To this end I have in mind to create a network of “Friends of the Foundation”.

1 To support the Foundation in its fund raising activities such as the annual Blanket Appeal   Dinner in June .

2 To form a network of professionals and businesses that would mutually benefit each.

Dr Francis Ghan
Chair of ACMA Foundation