Chi Fan for Charity Approaches RMB 500,000 Goal

Chi Fan for Charity's fifth Beijing event Saturday night was a sell-out with 58 participating restaurants and more than 700 people, but co-founder Michael Crain was still waiting for one last number to be counted: the event's goal of raising RMB 500,000 for two designated organizations.

"We are on track to break fundraising records by raising at least RMB 450,000 (but I am hoping we come closer to RMB 500,000 after some silent auction money is collected," Crain, who co-founded the event with his wife Joanna, said by email.

This year's charity beneficiaries are Educating Girls of Rural China (EGRC) and Little Flower Project. EGRC operates under the philosophy that educating women is the key to bringing positive changes to a family, a village and a society. Little Flower Project returns as a Chi Fan for Charity beneficiary for the second consecutive year. Little Flower Project is an outreach of China Little Flower, Inc., and since 1995, has led grassroots, small-scale, effective, and cost-efficient projects throughout China for the benefit of countless children in need.

The Chi Fan for Charity train now moves on to the Shanghai event on November 9. This year also sees a third city, Hong Kong, being added on November 16.

Founded in 2009, Chi Fan for Charity has raised more than RMB 1.7 million for various causes, not including this year's events.

Image: Mitchell Pe Masilun