ZT:Metro Detroit raises $700,000 for China's earthquake victims

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When Mike Qian and others in the local Chinese community began collecting
money to help survivors of the recent earthquake in China that killed more
than 65,000, they set what they thought was an ambitious fund-raising goal
of $100,000.

So far, they have collected more than twice that amount-- not including
matching donations from Detroit automakers, where many donors work -- and
are expecting to raise more online.


Including corporate matches, organizers estimated Michigan residents gave
more than $700,000, which is to be sent to China within the next two weeks.

"It's the first time I've ever seen the Chinese community come together and
get so involved this way," said Qian, 49, of West Bloomfield, the chairman
of the Michigan Chinese Foundation in Troy.
Donations include handfuls of change from schoolchildren, rumpled bills from
grocery shoppers and large checks -- one for as much as $10,000.

The generosity, Qian and others said, has been driven not only by compassion
, but also by a greater availability of news through the Internet and
satellite TV.

With an expected death toll of 80,000, the 8.0-magnitude earthquake May 12
was the most deadly in China since 1976, experts said.

On Saturday, the Chinese Association of Greater Detroit, Council of Asian
Pacific Americans in Michigan and more than 30 other groups, held a benefit
at Seaholm High School in Birmingham.
Organizers said more than 800 people attended and raised about $25,000.

Last week, students at Blackwell Institute, a Detroit public school,
collected about $300, said principal Patricia Hines. "It's great a school
right here in Detroit can help," said RaHeam Young, an eighth-grader at the
school who donated $1.

Angela Wang, 35, of Farmington Hills, who donated about $1,000 worth of
items for the fund-raiser, said her family lives about 80 miles from the
epicenter of the earthquake. They were not injured.

"When people have a need, we come together to help," she said.

Qian said the gift that tugged on his heartstrings most was from a husband
and wife, Sixin Fan, 42, and Fang Deng, 41, of Novi.

The auto engineers gave $2,000, and collected another $3,000 at Asian
grocery stores and restaurants. It took hours to count all the single bills.

"After the earthquake, every time we watched the news, tears kept coming,"
said Fan, who, with his wife, is from Sichuan province, where the earthquake
hit. Their families were safe. "Instead of watching the TV, we decided to
take some action."

Contact FRANK WITSIL at 248-351-3690 or witsil@freepress.com.

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