Workers in Lujiazui, Shanghai, buy cups of coffee from a pop-up stand. The proceeds from the sales of these heavily discounted beverages will be donated to Lujiazui community charity fund. [Photo/Pudong Times]

A coffee-themed charity event was launched in Lujiazui, Shanghai's financial hub, on Oct 18, to mark the opening of the first Lujiazui International Coffee Festival.

Pop-up stands from reputable coffee brands have been set up in eight Lujiazui buildings, including Jinmao Tower and World Financial Center, and will sell customers heartwarming brews at the heavily discounted price of 2 yuan ($0.3) per cup with all proceeds going to charity.

The revenue will be donated to Lujiazui community charity fund and used to buy repeat roses for seniors who have lost their only child in Lujiazui communities.

Organizers hope the event will offer local workers a fun and tasty way to give back to the local community. In the first two days of the event over 6,800 cups of coffee have been sold raising 13,600 yuan for the fund.

Repeat Roses, the organization that inspired Lujiazui's charity event, was established by US businesswoman Jennifer Grove in 2014 as a way of recycling expensive roses used in weddings and special events. Grove's concept is to spread the joy of flowers to people in need, such as hospital patients and the elderly, and to create an awareness of sustainability issues.