For Immediate Release, May 22, 2008

Earthquake Yard-Sale Fundraising Committee News Release

For immediate release, May 22, 2008

For further information, contact Peter Chieh,
Ph: 519 746 5133, e-mail: , Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre

News, reports, images, and footages of the earthquake in China strike everyone’s heart. They strike those having relatives and friends in the quake stricken area particularly hard. Some residents living in the Kitchener and Waterloo region had tears in their eyes. On May 19, Prime Minister Harper expressed, on behalf of Canada, his deep sadness and heartfelt sympathy with the Chinese people suffering as a result of the earthquake in China’s Sichuan province.

With tears in their eyes, area residents of Chinese descend differing in religion, dialect, ethnicity and background band together for comfort. A few of them suggested hosting a yard sale to raise funds and the voice sent a strong wave of force through them. In addition to donating generously, they rolled up their sleeves and decided to work together to aid the earthquake victims. They want to host the yard sale to provide an opportunity for those who want to help.

The yard sale will take place on the last day of May from nine o’clock in the morning till two in the afternoon at the parking lot of NCR located in the north of Waterloo close to the Waterloo and St. Jacobs farmers markets. They invite yard-sale vendors to bring articles to the NCR parking lot to sell and then donate the proceeds through the Committee, which will channel the fund to the Canadian Red Cross earmarking it for China earthquake relief (see http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=27454&tid=001).

During the yard sale, Wok Wagon Catering, a local business, together with local restaurants will donate Chinese food for lunch for a donation of $8 or more. During the early seventies, some Chinese restaurants used the same strategy to raise relief funds for the flood victims in Galt, so called then, but now part of Cambridge.

The event committee consists of leaders of the local associations: Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre, Waterloo Chinese Community Association, Waterloo Region Chinese Integration Service, and Chinese Canadian Women Federation.

为地震灾区募捐义卖通知

中国四川汶川大地震，导致巨大人员伤亡和财产损失。消息传播世界各地，牵动着每一个海外华人的心。滑铁卢地区的华人和华裔人士，除在网上和向加拿大红十字会捐款外，决定联合起来，同心协力，举办一次义卖乐捐(yard sale fundraising for earthquake victims in China)，欢迎并感谢所有人士参与。

时间：2008年5月31日(周六) 9:00-14:00. 如果下雨，活动将推迟到六月七日举行。

地点：在NCR停车场位设置摊位,
NCR's parking lot, 580 Weber Street West, Waterloo Ontario, (Weber and Northfield)

安排：志愿参加义卖的人，可以在以上指定的时间和地点摆设自己的义卖摊位，本着自愿的原则, 将捐献振灾的物件标价出售。然后将义卖所得款项捐出，由活动组织者汇集并登记. 未卖出的物件请自带回，离开时请清理干净各自摊位。有意参加义卖者, 请通知班大雁 .

个人及公司捐赠现金或礼品义卖, 请与Weiying Xu < > 联系.

当天11:00－14:00 间有中式快餐义卖.

捐款处理: 据16日CTV晚间新闻报导，加拿大政府，拨款给加拿大红十字会，作为支援中国灾区之用，政府表示, 将会比照私人捐款，另加同等数目支援中国灾区. 所以我们募集的善款, 将经由加拿大红十字会，送到中国.

为地震灾区募捐义卖组委会:

揭钧 (安省中部中华文化中心,COCCC. )

苏立明 (滑铁卢华人联谊会, WCCA, )

班大雁 (滑铁卢华人联谊会, WCCA)

张弈 (滑铁卢地区华人社区服务中心, WRCIS)

吴文玓 (Wendy Wu) (Chinese Canadian Women Federation, CCWF)

Yard-Sale Fundraising for Earthquake Victims in China

News Release

Earthquakes devastated parts of China. To date they found almost 30,000 bodies and they expect the death toll to exceed 60,000. A hundred million grieving survivors live in pain, suffering and uncertainty. News reports touched us all. After wiping our eyes dry, area Chinese differing in religion, dialect, ethnicity and background band together for comfort. A few of us suggested hosting a yard sale to raise funds, and we all agreed. We decide to work together to aid the earthquake victims and we ask and thank you for your help and support.

When: Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. In case of rain, the event will take place on June 7, 2008

Where: 580 Weber Street West, Waterloo, Ontario
Parking lot of NCR at the intersection of Weberand Northfield

What: All are welcome as venders and buyers or both.
Vendors: bring items you want to sell and we assign you a space. Then donate your proceeds to the collecting station. Receipts will be issued by Red Cross or by COCCC if you want. Please contact for details.
Business and individuals wishing to donate gifts for the sale please contact
Weiying Xu <
Wok Wagon Catering and some local Restaurants will offer Chinese food for donations during lunch time.

Donation: Canada contributs $1 million to Red Cross emergency quake relief. The government announced earlier that it will further match private donation to the humanitarian organizations to aid victims ( see cbc.ca/cp/national/080516/n0516145A.html and www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=27454&tid=001). Your donation will go to the Canadian Red Cross, and receipts will be provided.

Earthquake Yard-Sale Fundraising Committee:

Peter Chieh,
, Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre

Liming Su,
, Waterloo Chinese Community Association

Dayan Ban,
, WCCA

Lily Zhang,
, Waterloo Region Chinese Integration Service

Wendy Wu,
, Chinese Canadian Women Federation

Dear Restaurateur,

The earthquakes devastated China. The rescue efforts by the Chinese government and all Chinese is moving and touching. China started a 3-day mourning for perhaps more than 50,000 quake victims on May 19. On the same day, Prime Minister Harper expressed, on behalf of Canada, his deep sadness and heartfelt sympathy with the Chinese people suffering as a result of the earthquake in China’s Sichuan province last week.

On Friday, May 16, the Government of Canada announced a $1-million contribution to support the emergency response of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). Canada will also match individual donations to humanitarian organizations.

The earthquake disaster is a human tragedy and it touched every human being. We are organizing a community yard sale on Saturday May 31, in the parking lot of NCR. During the organization meeting, Yin Tang of Wok Wagon Catering suggested we serve lunch for donation. She agreed to be in charge of food sale, and she will drive her Wagon there and serve. Yin is out of Canada now, but she left a plan for us to carry out.

Yin planned to offer a 3-item-pluse-drink lunch for a donation of $8 or more. Customers will choose from Egg Rolls, Spring Rolls, Fried Rice, Sweet & sour Chicken, and Lo Mein. The Earthquake Yard-Sale Fundraising Committee requests donations from local restaurants. During the Yard Sale, the names of the food-donors will be posted by the food stand.

Thus, we will appreciate very much if your establishment can supply ______for this charity and meaning full event. A volunteer will call you to confirm your donation arrange the earliest possible pick-up time on May 31. If possible we wish to pick up your item at 10:30 am on May 31. The items will be reheated in the Wagon and then served.

We thank you for your contribution, and the fund will be handed to the Canadian Red Cross and then channeled to the Chinese Red Cross.

Earthquake Yard-Sale Fundraising Committee:

Peter Chieh,
, Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre

Liming Su,
, Waterloo Chinese Community Association

Dayan Ban,
, WCCA

Lily Zhang,
, Waterloo Region Chinese Integration Service

Wendy Wu,
, Chinese Canadian Women Federation

亲爱的业者, 您好，

中国四川发生的地震灾难, 把海外华人的心紧紧的牵动。无数个人和商家竞先解囊或出力。滑铁卢地区的华人和华裔人士, 决定于同心合力, 于星期六, 5月31日举行一次募捐义卖活动。地点在滑铁卢市Weber 和Northfield交叉的NCR停车场内。如果下雨，活动将推迟到6月7日。目前准备工作以开始。此次活动的消息已经或将要通过包括Internet，电台和电视台在内的各种渠道广泛发布。

本次活动中的一个重要募捐项目是出售中式午餐。组委会谨致此函希望您能够捐献一些中式午餐食品。所有收入将捐献给灾区。更详尽的办法，请您参阅:

http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/coccc/earthquakeyardsale.doc

我们请您提供 ______

稍后将有义工打电话和您联络, 以确定具体细节。活动当天，我们希望尽早 (11 am) 将食品带到现场, 到时候可由义工到贵店取食品. 。Wok Wagon Catering的卡车式厨房将在现场加热食品, 然后义卖. 我们将在活动现场明显的位置, 展示捐献餐馆的名字, 并摆放餐馆的菜单或其它材料。