You Fancy, Huh? Hitting the High Seas With Beijing Sailing Center
I’ve never felt fancier than when declining a party invite with the words “I’d love to, but I’ll be sailing all weekend.” The kind folks at Beijing Sailing Center made our bourgeois dreams come true by inviting us out for the weekend to celebrate the start of sailing season on a dinghy with an able instructor. The wind wasn’t strong, but they did their best to make everyone feel instrumental in their roles of pulling this or tying that.
The weak sea breeze also wasn’t much help for those in the sailboat race (“I think those swimmers are going faster than the boats,” one instructor commented), but it was the perfect remedy for those of us just looking to escape Beijing’s oppressive summer weather with a beer at the sail base on the water’s edge.
The weekend wrapped up with a children’s knot-tying competition and an auction. Thanks to the additional gift of some of the club’s race proceeds, that fundraiser pulled in over RMB 100,000 for a child’s leukemia treatment through Roundabout, a charity working to “connect donations (monetary or otherwise) to the people who need them.” Because nothing’s fancier than giving back.
If you’re looking for a sailing adventure of your own, check this out for information on BSC’s courses, camps, membership, and events. For details on how you can contribute to Roundabout, click here.
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Nata
Submitted by Guest on Wed, 05/29/2013 - 10:10 Permalink
Fundraiser......and accountability and follow up of fund use
Each time I read about some event doing something to raise funds for this or that, I truly applaud the intend.
However, has anyone ever thought to make sure that whichever organization the large sums of money raise are donated to, that a MUST condition from the receiving organization is:
OK, now that you get the money we are giving you, you must then show us where and how these monies are spent.
Getting an accountability statement from receiving organization is a reasonable request, especially in China. This reason is that most of these monies do not really go into its intended cause or use. If clubs, groups or individuals giving the sums ask for such accountability, everyone at least know the funds are going into where it should be going.
China is notorious for the greater amount of monies disapperaing into individual orexecutives'or whoever control the funds at the receiving organization's pocket, and NOT the intended people who should be getting it.
Until there is really a government audit committee that really bothers to do so, anyone, any group or clubs or organization spending their time organizing and raising funds for any causes should bring up such standards than the government.
Only in such manner can we ensure that monies are going to those who truly needs it, and not to the many greedy people-in-control.
The Beijinger could be one of the pioneers to do so because of your ability to reach the educated masses and foreigners, who can help ensure such pre-cautions and requirements are implemented.
Perhaps a follow up article on all those fundraising The Beijinger and sponsors or co-sponsors have donated and see how past receiving organizations have done may be a start in this direction?
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