Cambridge, MA, Monday, July 29, 2013— Last Friday (July 26), three Taiwanese organizations in Greater Boston area joined forces to host their first joint blood drive and charity barbecue party at MIT Sailing Pavilion. Despite the rainy weather, 44 blood donors and about 70 party guests took part in this event to celebrate community service.
Hsien-Chung Tseng, blood donor, completed his donation. Location: Inside the blood donation van
It took four months for Taiwan Youth Chamber of Commerce of New England (TYCCNE), Taiwanese American Professionals Boston (TAP), and MIT Taiwanese Student Association (MIT ROCSA) to plan and promote this rare effort that combines charity and summer pastime to address the blood shortage crisis in Greater Boston. In support of this event, Michelle Wu, Boston city council candidate, and officials from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office were all present at the pavilion.
This summer, Boston Children’s Hospital is facing serious blood shortage, and this successful blood drive came just in time. “Your drive did great,” said Maureen Zuzevich, coordinator of Boston Children’s Hospital Blood Bank. “You had 44 present to donate, and we received 30 good bloods. Each pint of blood can help as many as 4 children.” More importantly, for many of the donors, it was the first time they give blood in the United States. They are likely to become regular donors in the future.
A snapshot of the BBQ party. Location: MIT Sailing Pavilion
With the smell of grilled Taiwanese sausage and sweet corn, the BBQ party set off at 5 pm. MIT Sailing Pavilion was suddenly packed with a cheerful crowd. Among the 70 participants, many were unable to give blood due to work, time, or physical constraints. However, they attended the sunset party and supported community service in the form of party tickets and generous donations. “I think this is a meaningful event,” said Been Wang, renowned architect at ARC. “Not only does it help the public, but it creates a chance for people of different age groups to mingle with each other.”
It is noteworthy that 24 volunteers took turn to help out in this 8-hour event. In addition to regular members of the three hosting organizations, many of them were total strangers living in all corners of Greater Boston. They came simply because they wanted to help.
“I am very glad to volunteer,” said Hao Tseng, one of the volunteers and also a medical student from Yang-Ming University, Taiwan. “Here I serve a good cause and get to meet many young Taiwanese people who go to school or work in Boston. This experience is helpful for my future career planning.” Tseng was selected by Taiwan Ministry of Education to study at Harvard University as a summer student.
“A chamber of commerce exists to facilitate interpersonal connections,” said Lisa Kang, President of TYCCNE. “The promotion of corporate social responsibility through community participation is our new approach to establish connections. To plan and promote this event, TAP, MIT ROCSA, and TYCCNE not only penetrated every corners of the internet, but we knocked on the doors of numerous businesses and organizations. Looking at the future, we hope to continue planting the seeds of community service and public goods in the Asian community.”
As laughter burst out on Charles River bank like Chinese firecracker, it is clear that this event successfully mobilized the Taiwanese community, and that no rain could extinguish the passion of these young settlers in the city.
TYCCNE, founded in 2010, is a registered non-profit organization committed to serving as a platform for community service, personal development, and cross-cultural dialogue. TAP Boston is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote leadership, identity, networking, and community in a fun setting that forges strong friendships. MIT ROCSA is an MIT-sponsored student organization dedicated to connecting and caring for Taiwanese students, researchers, faculties, and their family, both at MIT and in greater Boston area.
This post is also available in: Chinese
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