A picture of VOL taken with a camera phone

Here’s a heartwarming story about the youth of today.

A group of students from various high schools around Shenzhen have been spending their Saturdays performing on the street to raise money for the family of a baby who has cerebral palsy, according to Shenzhen Satellite Television.

In April this year, the band, VOL, which at that time only consisted of three girls, was approached by a man after performing. The man told them that his infant son was very sick and he would be grateful if they would use their fundraising power to help him.

After going to see the baby, the girls decided to make a video. Since then every Saturday at 4 p.m. the group has performed outside Central Book City in Futian District where the local government is piloting measures to allow street performers. The group has also snowballed in size.

The three founder members of VOL

One of the girls, Zhang Hehui, told reporters that the baby also had a hereditary heart condition.

Since then, the group has been performing on the street in all kinds of weather to help the baby, whose name is Zhang Wuyou. The group has also been invited onto the TV show Chinese Dream after word spread about their campaign.

On television, the father of the baby – who is not out of the woods yet – spoke of how moved he was about all the support he had received.

Between April and September, the group made over 50,000 yuan. According to another member, Dong Anqi, the group performs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will have a friend hold an umbrella for them when it rains.

The third founder member, Zhou Ying, said her reason for doing this was to help society, not to fulfil any musical ambitions.

One of VOL’s newest members