28 May 2008

Students raise over £10,000 for China quake victims

Students from the University of Sheffield have raised over £10,000 in just four days to help victims of the earthquake in China. The money raised will support the Red Cross China Earthquake Appeal, launched by the British Red Cross.

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), rallied over 40 participants to shake buckets, create poster boards and raise awareness of the devastation left in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake. They were also joined by academics and individuals wanting to get involved, and supported by the RAG Committee and the Union of Students Raising and Giving fundraising committee.

The earthquake on 12 May 2008 has had a devastating affect on many parts of China. Over 4,000 children have been orphaned and more than five million have been left homeless according to the latest figures – the death toll will continue to rise as sanitation and medical care for the injured are at a critical point.

Over 1,000 Chinese students currently study at the University of Sheffield, and the success of the appeal is in no small part due to their unwavering support.

Xiongwei Song, President of the CSSA, said: "We started the fundraising for the China earthquake appeal to reflect the strong feelings of all the Chinese students and scholars in Sheffield. We want to take this opportunity to thank our volunteers for their dedication and to all the staff and students at the University who supported us with donations."

David Steele, Senior Fundraiser for Yorkshire Red Cross, said: "Thank you to all the University of Sheffield staff and students connected with this fantastic fundraising effort for the Red Cross China Earthquake Appeal. To mobilise such a strong team of enthusiastic volunteers in such a short space of time was a brilliant achievement but to raise so much money was outstanding."