Jan 2000 - Beijing Rotary: Fan Ziming

Rotary Club of Beijing 1-11-00 Bulletin

Jan 2000 - Beijing Rotary: Kang Ying

Rotary Club of Beijing 1-18-00 Bulletin

11/99 Kang Ying & her Mommy,
in Syracuse hospital, prior to surgery.

11/99 Ivan beams over fishing pole
presented by New Hartford RC

12/17/99 DG Herb Jerry presents gift
to Lixin Chu as Ziming Fan looks on.

12/99 GoL Chair Mike Occipinti looks on as Don Schlueter explains banner.

12/99 Don presents Lixin Chu Four-
Way Banner to take back to China.

12/14/99 - Abby Lazar, of Time Warner New Channels, and a T-W cameraman, filming a documentary -- a followup from six years ago -- promising to be a great tribute to a fantastic Rotary program of true Service Above Self!

12/14/99 Dr. George M. Alfieris, &
Dr. Frank C. Smith, who provide
their services to GOL at no charge.

12/99 Donna Occhipinti with DG Herb Jerry & Rome Rotarian Don Schlueter

11/99 Kang Ying smiles
from her hospital bed

11/99 She & her Mommy,
happy to be here

11/99 Ziming Fan smiles
from his hospital bed

11/99 He & his Mommy,
happy to be here

11/99 A smile to melt your heart...

11/99 Ivan looking good!

(L to R) Craig Pugh- P New Hartford RC , Maria Petryk - Ivan's Mother, Father Michael Bundz, Ivan Petryk, Ed Rowan - Gift of Life Committee

Ivan beams over fishing pole
presented by New Hartford RC

(L to R) Father Joseph Kopchik, Maria Petryk - Deb Bauder - P Sauquoit RC, Father Michael Bundz, Ed Rowan - Gift of Life Committee and Ivan Petryk.

11/99 Ivan's ready to travel!

to to

October 18, 1999 UPDATE from PDG Michael D Occhipinti:

Our Gift of Life child from the Ukraine, Ivan Petryk and his mother will arrive Friday evening at the Syracuse Airport at 8:10pm on American Airlines, Flight # 5082. This is a change from Sunday October 24th.

October 12, 1999 Report from PDG Michael D Occhipinti:

We will be starting our District's Gift of Life program for our Rotary Year 1999-2000. Plans have already been put in place and it looks like another exciting year for our District's Gift of Life program. We will be bringing in three children this fall, all at the same time for open-heart surgery. Two will be coming from China and one will come from the Ukraine.

On Sunday, October 24th will arrive from the Ukraine, Ivan Petryk and his mother Maria Petryk. Ivan was born on January 15, 1989 and his surgery date will be on Thursday, October 28th.

On Sunday, November 7th we except both children to arrive from China. Coming will be Zining Fan (Male) and his mother Lixin Chu. Ziming Fan was born on September 30, 1993 and his surgery date will be on Thursday, November 11. Also arriving from China will be Ying Kang (Female) with her mother Xirong Mao. Ying Kang was born on February 20, 1990 and her surgery date will be on Thursday, November 18.

We have 12 clubs involved with these three children. These clubs are: Camden, Eastwood, Greater Utica Sunrise, New Hartford, North Utica, Oriskany/ Whitestown, Rome, Sauquoit, Sherrill, Syracuse, Syracuse Sunrise, and Utica.

Ivan Petryk, Zining Fan, and Ying Kang will be our 29th, 30th, and 31st children that we have brought into our District, from nine different countries, on our Gift of Life program which began back in 1990. From a total of 44 clubs in our District, 36 have been involved with our program.

Donna Occhipinti, who is the medical coordinator for our program, has arranged to have our three Gift of Life families stay with host families in our District and has also been working with translators to coincide with all the hospital visitations that will be done by the sponsoring clubs. Following discharge from the hospital and recovery period, we plan to bring the children to the sponsoring clubs for a Rotary program before their departure back home.

In the spring of the year, April or May, we plan to bring in another child for open-heart surgery. I have had three clubs approach me that wish to become involved. They are Cazenovia, DeWitt and Little Falls. We will be looking for just three more clubs to be involved. (For further information, contact Mike)

How This Child Came About by Rome Rotarian Don Schlueter

In June 1996, a group of Rotarians and other interested parties who were based in Beijing held their first fellowship meeting. This group was later called the Beijing Fellowship Group of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong. The BFG has over forty members from some twenty countries and from every continent on earth, except Africa.

Don Schlueter reports that China does not as yet recognise any Non Government Organisations but will permit groups such as the BFG to meet provided that their membership is confined to expatriates only and that their activities are of a non-political and non-religious nature. The BFG meets weekly at the China World Hotel.

Whilst Chinese citizens cannot join as members for the present, many Chinese people have been invited to attend as guests and some as Speakers at their meetings. Since their formation, the BFG have had numerous projects, individually or jointly, with other Rotary Clubs around the world.

Working with the Rotary Club of Hong Kong and District 3450, projects have included the donation for earthquake relief, flood relief including the re-building of a whole new village which had been destroyed by floods and the installation of water collection system in the west and northern drought stricken areas. Together with Rotary Clubs from Germany, the BFG purchased air conditioners for a children hospital and tented schools to a nomadic group of people in Qinghai Province.

The BFG has a Friendship Agreement with the Rotary Club of Copenhagen and jointly, purchased two incubators to a children’s hospital. This hospital was also the beneficiary of a dental chair from the BFG. On its own, the BFG has also collected numerous used computers for distribution to junior schools in the poorer districts and am providing assistance to two handicapped children’s schools. The list goes on.

The needs of China are overwhelming and the projects are endless. The shorter term challenge for the BFG is the retention of members. The typical job assignment in Beijing is three years so there is a constant turnover of members. Some stability in this area could be achieved once Rotary International is recognised in China and Chinese nationals will then be permitted to join.

Don Schlueter goes on to say, “Should clubs in the District want to assist the Beijing Rotarians, there are things that they could do to support their efforts. I would be pleased to discuss these opportunities with interested Rotary Clubs”. Contact Don