Image courtesy of Paul Ong.

When Winnipeg vocalist Paul Ong steps onstage to perform, he has two goals—that everyone has a great time and that they raise as much money for charity as possible.

Ong works as a vice-principal by day and a classical singer by night. Growing up, he figured singing was just a hobby, but at age 21, he auditioned for Canada’s Got Talent on a whim and made it to the semifinals. Then he had to make a choice—fly to Toronto for the show or take a teaching job. He picked the latter and had no regrets.

However, his talent had been noticed, and Ong was selected to represent Canada at the 2015 World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. To help fund the trip, his community organized a concert. “At first, I was so embarrassed to do it. I didn’t want to solicit,” he says. “But it really allowed me to go out of my comfort zone, to bring community together.”

The local support inspired him to plan another performance— to raise money for the school where he worked as a resource teacher. He thought it was a one-off, but it’s now Ong’s 10th year spearheading and headlining the annual Concert for a Cause, which has raised a total of nearly $100,000 for local charities, including Sistema Winnipeg, an after-school music program for kids created in partnership with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). As a result, Ong became the first local Chinese- Filipino artist to be accompanied by the WSO. “That was like a dream to have a full orchestra accompany me for a full concert.”

These concerts are also inspirational for Ong’s students, who often get to perform a song or two with him. “My biggest hope is that they realize their gifts could be used for a greater community purpose.”

Nominate a Localer. Do you know someone who goes above and beyond to make the world a better place? We’d love to hear about them. Send nominations to drivenbygoodmb@caamanitoba.com and they could be our featured Localer in an upcoming issue.