This message is being sent on behalf of the Office of the President.
Dear Colleagues:
I am writing in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in China, to ask for your assistance, and to advise you of the initiatives the broader Chinese community of Winnipeg is undertaking to help the survivors of this tragedy.
As many of you are aware, an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 - first reported as 7.8 - hit the province of Sichuan, China, on Monday, May 12. As of May 19, the death toll had reached 34,000 and more than 250,000 were injured. These numbers are expected to rise rapidly in the days to come.
Beichuan, a small town at the epicenter of the earthquake, was flattened in seconds. Thousands of students lost their lives in school on that Monday afternoon. The devastation and deaths are of such magnitude that the Government of China has declared three days of national mourning, the first ever in the Chinese history.
We have all read stories of natural disasters and sometimes it is hard to comprehend destruction and devastation that is located far away. For many of our students, faculty and staff, however, this tragedy is all too real. Sichuan Province is home to many international students at the University of Manitoba, and several of our professors have their hometowns within 200 km of the epicenter. Furthermore Sichuan University is a sister university of the University of Manitoba, and Winnipeg is a sister city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province.
Dr. Feiyue Wang, a member of our Department of Environment and Geography as well as the Department of Chemistry, and Chair of the Manitoba Chinese Tribune, has advised me that the Chinese and Chinese-Canadian communities of Winnipeg are co-coordinating efforts to provide care and support to the victims of this earthquake. A major benefit performance is planned for May 25 at the Canad Inns - Polo Park. I am attaching the poster describing this event for your information. Your attendance would be most appreciated.
If you would like to make a donation, please make your cheque payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked "China Earthquake". You may drop the cheque at the event venue, or at the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre, or mail it directly to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe, Suite 300, Ottawa, ON K2P, 2P2. If you wish, you may donate directly with your credit cards at www.redcross.ca http://www.redcross.ca/ .
Most importantly, do not forget that our University has many Chinese students, scholars of Chinese origin, and friends of Chinese ancestry in the community. A friendly smile would help them immeasurably, as would an inquiry about their families and friends. Whatever their circumstances, it will help them to know that though they may be far from home, here they are not alone.
Sincerely,
Emőke Szathmáry, Ph.D.
President and Vice-Chancellor
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