Some 1,000 volunteers from all walks of life, including local expats and Taiwan compatriots, joined Shanghai's first charity social work team on Saturday.

The establishment of the team, which is managed by the Shanghai Volunteers' Association, is part of a flurry of activities titled "The Deepest Love under the Blue Sky," an annual fundraising campaign run by the Shanghai Charity Foundation. Members of the newly created team said they will lend a hand to needy people in the community.

"About 30 of my colleagues joined the team," said Yu Jun, a volunteer from a local international company. "We really hope we can do something in the long term, not only for one time."

In addition, a charity operation broadcast live by local TV stations was held at Shanghai Changhai Hospital. Fang Julan, a 49-year-old unemployed local woman, received free surgery for a problem with her spine. She might have been paralyzed if the operation was delayed. Hou Tiesheng, Fang's surgeon, said that the surgery was very successful. More than 3 million yuan was raised during the sixth auction for "Enlightening Your Wish," a program under the local charity foundation to provide free treatment to poor cataract sufferers, infants with inborn eye diseases and deaf children. "The Big Wish," a glaze artwork donated by two famous Taiwan performers, sold for 1 million yuan during the auction.

Later the same day, the foundation briefed the public on its financial situation.

"The foundation received 239 million yuan (US$29 million) last year, and 105 million of it has been put in 25 charitable programs providing education and medical aid to more than 100,000 people," said Chen Tiedi, chairwoman of the foundation.

(Shanghai Daily January 31, 2005)