As the ruling Radical Left SYRIZA-led coalition has cut fuel oil subsidies for Greece’s poor, a charity concert in Brussels, the seat of the European Union, raised 35,000 euros ($45,164) to provide heating oil for schools in northern Greece so students won’t freeze.

The show was done to support the cause Fuel for Schools, the sixth straight year the nonprofit group 12 Hours for Greece came to the rescue in a sold-out event featuring artists from Greece, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

“With the support of the Greek community in Belgium, Belgian and other foreign citizens who are fond of Greece, we managed to collect 31,000 euros last year, and we helped supply with fuel 40 schools in the north of Greece. In those 40 schools, there are approximately 7,000 children,” Jimmy Jamar, head of the European Commission Representation in Belgium and organizer of the event told reporters.

“We try not only to bring the fuel, we also try in these villages in northern Greece to create some links between the schools in Greece and the schools and municipalities in Belgium. This is important to create some ties,” Jammar said.

A check with the proceeds was given to Aspasia Leventis, founder and President of International Foundation for Greece which brings fuel oil to remote villages. “This year we have 250 applications from schools,” Leventis said.

Panos Carvounis, head of the European Commission Representation in Greece said, “It is our moral duty to support such wonderful initiatives that promote Greece and help financially Greek organizations that do not have the means,” without mentioning the government is cutting back on that aid.

Greece’s economic crisis has been going on for more than 7 ½ years. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who promised to help the country’s worst-off, instead surrendered to international creditors and cut back on programs to help them while letting the rich, politicians, tax cheats and the oligarchs he said he would crush off the hook.