After calculating the cost of sending 10,000 masks and 1,000 goggles to a region in China affected by the coronavirus, the organizers of the A Hand for Wuhan fundraiser set a goal of $30,000. They didn’t expect to surpass that goal within two days of the fundraiser’s launch.

Syracuse University students Ruohan Xu and Ze Zeng created the fundraiser to purchase medical supplies — including masks, goggles and coveralls — to send to Wuhan, a province in China at the epicenter of the coronavirus.

Xu and Zeng are working with several Chinese student organizations as well as the Center for International Services, which helped to launch the campaign.

The students extended the fundraising goal to $50,000 after reaching their original goal. They have raised $40,151 as of Tuesday evening and have 11 days remaining, according to their fundraising page.

Xu said that other SU students reached out to him because they were concerned about the spread of the coronavirus in China. The students who are helping with the fundraiser come from various parts of China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao. They have a strong desire to help their motherland, even if they cannot help directly, Xu said.

Xu decided to create the A Hand for Wuhan fundraiser after hearing about the shortage of medical supplies in Wuhan. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a public health emergency.

“I’m from China, and also as [an] international student, I think that we need to do something for the global health issue,” Xu said.

Xu reached out to Ruth Chen, a professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the chancellor’s wife. Xu already had a relationship with Chen, who is also originally from China.

Chen told Amanda Nicholson, the assistant provost and dean of student success, about the students’ idea for a fundraiser at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration dinner on Jan. 26. The next day, Nicholson met with Juan Tavares, the director of the Center for International Services, and Xu and Zeng to discuss the program.

The fundraiser launched within a week of the meeting, Nicholson said.

Chen said in an email that she was worried about the parents and families of SU students, faculty and staff in China and wanted to help the students with the fundraiser. Zeng said he appreciated the support from the university, as it provided a platform for the fundraiser.

Zeng added that he was grateful for the show of support from donors and the university at a time when he noticed people losing faith in the university after the bias-related incidents that happened last semester.

“It’s a really wonderful thing to see, especially after what happened last semester in the end of the semester,” Zeng said. “We can see that still Syracuse University is like a great family that everyone supports each other.”

Nicholson said the fundraiser reflects a partnership between the administration and the students who stepped up and had the idea. It’s always important to extend help to others when there is a clear need, she said.

“This is an enormous challenge right now,” Nicholson said. “But you know, I think you can sit and talk about it, or you can try and do something about it. And every small step helps.”

Published on February 4, 2020 at 11:08 pm

Contact Mandy: ackrayna@syr.edu | @MandyKraynak