Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Students of Onnuri Piano Academy — together with members of American Samoa's Korean and Chinese Associations, and the Korean and Chinese Community Youth Groups — pictured with two checks from their successful Christmas Piano Recital fundraiser that was held last Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei, to help pay medical expenses for Audrey Lefono, a 10-year-old Samoan girl who is battling leukemia in Washington state.

Although all the proceeds from the fundraiser were to go to Audrey, her mother April had requested that half of the proceeds be donated to the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition, to help other cancer patients.

"It is through these selfless acts from fellow community members that we are able to help one another," said a statement from the group.

In the end, the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition received $5,000 while Audrey Lefono and her family got $5,087.

Samoa News spoke to local resident Pulu Ae Ae Jr. who applauded the heartfelt efforts of the Korean and Chinese communities. "It's such a wonderful thing to see little kids from different ethnic backgrounds coming together to help a child they don't even know, someone they are not even related to. That's just beautiful. We are fortunate to have people like this in the territory." 

Audrey suffers from Acute Myeloid Leukemia — a form of cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment at Seattle Children's Hospital in the Pacific Northwest.