TAIPEI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A cooking competition for fathers of children suffering from rare disorders was held in Taiwan Saturday.
The Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders organized the event to celebrate Father's Day, which falls on Aug. 8 in Taiwan. It was also an attempt to win public attention and support for the fathers.
A rare disorder refers to any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. According to Taiwan authorities, there are 220 identified rare disorders on the island, and 14,930 individuals reportedly suffer from such disorders.
Ten fathers from Taiwan participated in the competition this year, many of whom started learning cooking skills a month in advance.
"I came here this year to share my cooking skills with other fathers, while also supporting each other emotionally to relieve our pressure," said Wu Chin-hui, the champion of last year's competition and one of the judges this year.
Huang Wei-ting, who won second place last year, said he was looking to claim the crown this year. Huang said such events could help fathers exchange their experiences bringing up children suffering from the disorders.
"My daughter has no eyesight, so it is very difficult for her to learn basic skills in daily life," Huang said. "But she is a very strong girl and has very good learning ability. I am super proud."
Huang said his daughter often says "I love you" to him and his wife, melting their hearts.
The foundation staff said they hoped the competition would encourage the parents and be a special Father's Day event for the families.
Taiwan celebrates Father's Day on Aug. 8 each year, as the two "eight" numbers bear a similar pronunciation to "dad" in Chinese.
