Leigh Miller Villegas - Contributing Writer
Atlanta - 05.15.08
Some 14 Chinese organizations in Atlanta have united to raise funds for victims of the recent earthquake in China that has killed more than 15,000 and has caused an estimated $20 billion in damages.
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake, which struck Sichuan province on May 12, is the worst to hit China in 32 years. The quake hit northwest of Chengdu, the province’s capital, and many towns remain cut off from rescue workers in a region that is one of the country’s most populous. At least tens of thousands are homeless, and thousands more remain buried under rubble.
To contribute to relief efforts, Atlanta organizations have formed the Atlanta China Earthquake Fund Drive Committee. They are holding on-site donation drives at Zoo Atlanta, China Town and various supermarkets and Chinese schools in the Atlanta area during the next two weekends, May 17-18 and May 24-25, to raise funds.
The committee includes the Association of Chinese Professionals, Atlanta Chinese Writing Association, Atlanta Contemporary Chinese Academy, Atlanta Hunan Association, Atlanta Sichuan-Chongqing Association, Atlanta Sun Yat-Sen University Alumni Association, Chinese Business Association of Atlanta, DongBeiRen Association, Hubei Fellows Association, Morning Star Chinese School, National Association of Chinese Americans, Shandong Chinese Association, Shandong University Alumni Association and Zhejiang Association.
The earthquake is of particular concern locally because of Atlanta’s ties to Sichuan, said Frank Zhou, president of the Chinese Business Association of Atlanta. The province’s capital, Chengdu, is a candidate to be one of Atlanta’s Sister Cities, and Zoo Atlanta’s pandas hail from the region, he noted.
Since 1997, the Atlanta zoo has been working with Chengdu to promote giant panda breeding, and in 1999, two giant pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, were loaned to Atlanta for 10 years.
The epicenter of the recent earthquake struck...
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