Bank donates $200,000 to coronavirus relief

The executives of a Sino American bank in Southern California announced Friday that they will donate $200,000 to support the relief efforts during the novel coronavirus outbreak, joining a growing group of Chinese Americans who have responded to help China battle the epidemic.

"As an American company built in the Chinese community, we are very saddened by the coronavirus situation in China, and we feel that we should take actions to help out," said Pin Tai, CEO of Cathay Bank, the oldest Chinese American bank in Southern California, which opened in Los Angeles in 1962.

The $200,000 will be donated to China Charity Federation through the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles.

"We are touched by the courage and efforts by the Chinese government and its people in the fight against the epidemic," he said. "We wish all those suffering from the virus a speedy recovery. We hope the epidemic comes to an end soon. Be strong, Wuhan, be strong, China," he added.

Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, said the Chinese diaspora has been eagerly involved in the relief efforts by donating money and medical supplies to those affected by the pathogen.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, many Chinese American organizations in Southern California have banded together to send much needed medical supplies to China and to prevent the fast-moving virus from infecting more people.

The Chinese University Alumni Association Alliance of Southern California, made up of 63 alumni associations and around 50,000 alumni who live and work in the region, is one of them.

As of Feb 14, the organization reported that it has accumulated $187,208.76 in donations.

Leaders at the organization said they are preparing and packaging the fifth batch of relief supplies in a warehouse in Los Angeles.

Many other organizations, such as the US Zhejiang Commerce & Culture Association, and the Beijing Association USA also have been organizing donations to help.

Zhang recounted touching tales of those in the overseas Chinese community who rushed to aid their fellow Chinese.

A group of Chinese international students drove five hours to transport the medical equipment they collected to a logistics company, the diplomat said. They didn't even put their names on the packages, but instead left a note scribbled with the words "sons and daughters of China".

Despite his poor pensions, an older gentleman originally from Shandong province came to the consulate general to deliver $500 in person. After the donor left the consulate general, officials received a poem written by him, which read in part, "Chinese across the world, united as one, stand ready to fight the epidemic."

Countless individuals in the community are volunteering at logistics companies and various organizations to ensure that crucial medical supplies get shipped to people in need as soon as possible.

With the money from Cathay Bank included, the consulate general has received $350,000 from companies, local communities, especially the Chinese community. The donations will be sent to China Charity Federation.

Through different channels, the overseas Chinese community has collectively donated nearly $3 million to China. In addition, close to 30 tons of medical supplies worth around $2.5 million have been raised through various mediums, Zhang said.

As a result, the consulate general is working with logistics companies, he said.

Some individual donors encountered problems which are caused by the complexity of filling out various paper works and navigating the logistics process in order to get their shipments to the hands of health workers in affected regions.

To streamline the delivery process, the consulate general is working with two logistics companies which will help lump together the scattered donations from different donors. Donations delivered to the companies will undergo unified transportation and customs declaration procedures.

The companies will also offer free delivery services for donations to the relief efforts, he said.