| Director of Transnational Programs, Mr Bill Damachis, and Consul Tony... Director of Transnational Programs, Mr Bill Damachis, and Consul Tony Yu from the General Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney in front of a UOW collection point for earthquake victims | 
| UOW academic staff Professor Shixue Dou and Professor Hua Liu donate ... UOW academic staff Professor Shixue Dou and Professor Hua Liu donate at the fund raiser | 
| Best wishes from international friends at the fund-raising event Best wishes from international friends at the fund-raising event |
Fund-raising continues for earthquake victims
15 May 2008 | Bernie Goldie
The Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA) has called on the University community to help the victims of the recent earthquake which struck China.
The earthquake, which registered 7.8 on the Richter scale, occurred in the Sichuan Province on 12 May. The confirmed death toll was 12,100 as of Tuesday and is expected to rise as the rescue goes on.
This deadly earthquake killed more than 7,700 people in the town of Yingxiu alone -- about three-quarters of everyone who lived there. There are 26,000 injured, 60,000 unaccounted for and more than 9,400 trapped beneath debris. Heavy rain, collapsed bridges and buildings, and damaged roads are hampering the attempts to find survivors. The rescue has become a race against time and bad weather.
As of Wednesday 14 May, CSSA has received $AUD 4,233 in donations. The association says that this great support has come from the Chinese students’ body and staff of UOW, along with the generosity of the broader domestic and international student body.
The University made an immediate donation as soon as it was contacted by the CSSA.
The Director of Transnational Programs, Mr Bill Damachis, expressed the University’s sincere condolences to victims and their families as well as to UOW students from China who may have family, relatives and friends affected by this disaster.
“The University understands that this is a very traumatic period for many of our international students from China and Burma and we would like to let all students know that Student Equity and Diversity Liaison Officers (SEDLOs) in each faculty are there to assist them during this very difficult period,” he said.
Consul Tony Yu from the General Consulate-General of The People's Republic of China in Sydney attended Wednesday’s fund-raising event at UOW.
He expressed his thanks and appreciation to CSSA for organising the event and also expressed his gratitude to all the donors.
CSSA says that the fund-raising will continue between noon to 2pm on Thursday 15 May and Friday 16 May in front of the Library. Anyone is most welcome to donate or to sign their name to support the victims in Sichuan.
Donations being collected will be passed on to the victims in Sichuan through the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney.
Email chinesestudents@clubs.uow.edu.au for any further enquiries.
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