Charity Name: Hearts Together for Haiti, Project Kay Nou (www.htfhaiti.org) (www.xirenwang.com)

Xiren has contributed to numerous projects involving music therapy with orphans and special needs children in disadvantaged regions worldwide. Striving to lead a life with purpose, her volunteer work has been her passport to such places as Tibet, the Balkans, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and now Haiti. Xiren is donating a solo concert and organizing a benefit event for project Kay Nou of Hearts Together for Haiti, to help give children who would otherwise become restavecs (child slaves), other life options.

Charity Name: ALS Society of Canada (http://www.kinga26.webs.com) (http://www.als.ca/)

When Kinga’s mom was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease, Kinga decided to fight it by raising funds and awareness. She joined numerous ALS fundraisers, told her story in an ALS Canada direct mail campaign that raised $40,000, and created her own charity soccer tournament in honour of her mom (whom she lost this year). Kinga believes she is only limited by her imagination – “if I can dream it, I can do it!” she says, vowing to fight ALS for all those who can’t.

Charity Name: Throwdown for Cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.ca/)

Chelsea and Vivienne founded the annual “Throwdown for Cancer” (T4C), a non-profit event that brings local bands together to raise both money and awareness. Their goal: “to kick cancer in the a--, one breakdown at a time.” Last year alone they raised almost $4,500 at the event – just one of their initiatives, and they’re showing teens that it’s not impossible to help others just because they are younger.