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A powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolted
southwestern China on Monday, May 12,2008. This devastating
earthquake claimed, so far, more than 65,080 deaths with
23,150people still missing. Many schools were destroyed,
trapping and burying hundreds of students inside collapsed
schoolhouses. Such horrendous disaster struck the
consciousness of people around the world including that of
North Allegheny Senior High (NASH) School Students in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Binghui Zhang, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Ian Preston, and Dana
Preston are 11th grade students in the NASH School.
Inundated with horrific news from the epicenter in China,
they decided to raise funds for charitable donation to
victims of the earthquake through a carwash.
They coordinated the carwash fund-raising activity at
McDonald’s, 10529 Perry Hwy, Wexford, PA this past Sunday,
May 25. Joined by a group of 22 classmates, they voluntarily
washed one car after another in the heat of the sun.
Although it was a “Free Carwash for China Earthquake relief”
as indicated by their posters, all car owners made generous
donations. After five hours of hard work, the students
raised a total of $806.00.
They will give the full amount to the "Rebuild-A-School
Campaign” (RASC), organized by the Pittsburgh Chinese School
(PCS, http://www.pittsburgh-chinese-school.org) and joined
with Chinese Faculty Association in Pittsburgh (CFAP),
Chinese Association of Science and Technology Pittsburgh
Chapter (CAST-P) and Greater Pittsburgh Area
Sichuan and Chongqing Association (GPSCA). As part of their
fundraising efforts, Binghui Zhang and Sea Dong have also
sent out hundreds of letters to their neighbors and local
companies around the Pittsburgh area. They stated in their
letter: “Although we here in the United States are not able
to directly help with the relief efforts in China, donations
can greatly benefit the reconstruction efforts…with the
collapse of many school buildings in that region, many
students are now unable to continue their education.
As high school students here in the United States, we
strongly believe that education is a vital step for the
future of the region. Therefore, our objective is to raise
funds for the Rebuild-A-School Campaign”.
Although the amount of money they raised from carwash is
just a small fraction of the amount needed to rebuild a
school, it demonstrates the compassion of our students and
their dedication to charity and humanitarian contributions
to earthquake victims in China.
In addition to these students from North Allegheny Senior
High (NASH) School, students from other schools such as
North Allegheny intermediate School, Marshall Middle School,
Evergreen Elementary School, Shady Side Academy Middle
School, O’hara Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary
School are also in the process of fundraising for earthquake
children to support ‘Rebuild-A-School Campaign’.
“Free Car Wash” for China Earthquake Relief-Rebuild-A-School
Campaign (RASC) from NASH Students Front row, from left to
right: Angela Turo, Courtney Quisenberry, Cherry Bharati,
Dana Preston, Brittany Sturgess, Rachel Simeone Back row,
from left to right: Kelly Gilmour, Natalie Masters, Bill
Lenart, Kevin Liu, Chen Zhao, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Binghui
Zhang, Peter Wu, Stephen Gou (Students Ian Preston, Li Xu,
Michael Park, Andy Fishell, Genny Luo, Andrew Wu are not
shown in the above picture) “Free Car Wash” for China
Earthquake Relief from NASH Students From left to right: Sea
Dong, Jeff Lin, Dana Preston, Angela Turo, Courtney
Quisenberry, Bill Lenart, Binghui Zhang, Cherry Bharati,
Kevin Liu, Michael Park, Brittany Sturgess, Peter Wu, Kelly
Gilmour, Ian Preston, Rachel Simeone, Andrew Wu, Stephen
Gou, Genny Luo (Students Chen Zhao, Li Xu, Andy Fishell,
Natalie Masters are not shown in the picture)Pittsburgh
North Allegheny Senior High School Students Raise Money for
Charitable
Donation to “Rebuild-A-School Campaign” for China Earthquake
Children
5 月12 日,中國西南地區發生了強烈的8
級大地震。據報道,這次地震到目前爲止,已經造成超過65,080 人死亡及23,150
人失踪。許多學校遭受嚴重的摧毀,成百上千的學生掩埋在坍塌的學校敎室里。這場令人驚駭的災難引起了全世界人民的深切關注,其中包括美國賓夕法尼亞州匹兹堡市North
Allegheny 中學的高中生。
Binghui Zhang, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Ian Preston 和Dana Preston
是North Allegheny Senior High School
十一年級學生,當從各種新聞媒體中瞭解到中國地震的情况,他們決定爲在中國地震災區重建一所學校募捐。
5 月25 日,星期天,他們在位于賓夕法尼亞州匹兹堡市Wexford Perry Hwy
的麥當勞餐廳停車場組織了洗車募捐活動。學校的22
名同學,自發地參加了這次活動。在烈日下,他們毫不停歇地洗完一輛接一輛車。他們的宣傳海報上寫的是“免費洗車,爲中國地震救災募捐”。令人感動的是,每位車主都自願捐款。通過5
個小時的辛勤勞動,同學們共籌款806 美元。
這些籌款將被用于“在災區重建一所學校‘Rebuild-A-School
Campaign’(RASC)”,這次活動由匹兹堡市中文學校組織
(http://www.pittsburgh-chineses-school.org),同時得到了匹兹堡大學和卡耐基麥隆大學中國敎授協會、中國旅美華人科技協會匹兹堡分會和大匹兹堡地區四川和重慶同鄉會的支持。爲了募捐,Binghui
Zhang 和Sea Dong
還寄出了上百封信給他們的鄰居和大匹兹堡地區的公司。在信中,他們寫到:儘管我們身在美國,不能親身參加中國的救災工作,但是捐款是對災區重建最有幫助的。由於許多學校在災區已經坍塌,很多學生不能繼續接受敎育,而敎育的恢復是對災區未來發展極爲重要,
因此,我們這次籌款,希望幫助在災區重建一所學校。
儘管這次洗車活動籌款的錢數目不多,但這表明瞭美國中學生富于同情的善心以及對中國地震救災所表現出來的人道主義精神。
圖片由Dr. Li Zhang 攝。
附:洗車同學名單Binghui Zhang, Sea Dong, Jeff Lin, Ian Preston, Dana
Preston, Bill Lenart, Kelly Gilmour, Brittany Sturgess,
Rachel Simeone, Cherry Bharati, Chen Zhao, Stephen Gou,
Courtney Quisenberry, Angela Turo, Kevin Liu, Li Xu, Michael
Park, Andy Fishell, Natalie Masters, Genny Luo, Peter Wu,
Andrew Wu. |
