As the anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan Province of China last year nears, Holland College staff are launching another fund raiser to help rebuild the area. The Spring Cleanup Trinkets and Treasures Sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2nd in the cafeteria at the college's Charlottetown Centre. The sale promises to be a bargain hunter's dream. In addition to books, household knickknacks, games, toys, linens and baked goods, it will also feature treasures from Sichuan, China.

May 12th marks the first anniversary of the earthquake, the epicenter of which was in Wenchuan, a rural, impoverished and remote region of northern Sichuan. Schools serving more than 1,000 kindergarten children and primary school teachers were destroyed. The latest statistics indicate that the earthquake killed more than 68,000 people, and 18,467 are still unaccounted for. Some of the victims were students and teachers in the schools of Wenchuan. In response to this tragedy, and with support from project partner Malaspina University College, Holland College employees have collectively raised nearly $30,000 to help the earthquake victims so far.   

Jolene Chan, International Manager for Holland College's Asia/Pacific activities, says the college's ties with Sichuan Province are strong.

"Holland College has a special connection to that part of the world. Since 2003, the college has partnered with the Sichuan Provincial Department of Education in an effort to improve the skills of Chinese teachers. The staff at Holland College developed friendships and close ties with many teachers of that remote and mountainous region. It was hard to hear of the immense devastation. Schools and other buildings were wiped out, killing and injuring many of children. Homes and businesses, and even entire towns and villages, were levelled, reducing the vibrant life of those communities to piles of rubble," she said.

The Spring Cleanup Trinkets and Treasures Sale will raise funds to help Yingxiu Primary School in Wenchuan, which was completely destroyed in the earthquake, killing some 300 students and teachers. The Sichuan Provincial Department of Education plans to build a new primary school in Yingxiu, and the money raised will help provide equipment and software for a computer lab. Such initiatives are an integral part of bringing some sort of normalcy back to the lives of the children.

Ms. Yu Qin, an energetic and dedicated teacher well known to many at Holland College, emphasized the crucial role rebuilding the area has in helping the victims recover. Yu Qin's husband was killed and her daughter lost her hand in the earthquake. When she was interviewed by Hong Kong media during the Chinese New Year, Ms. Qin said, "I still have no mood to celebrate any festivals.  I wish I could go back to teach so that all of us will come out from the shadow of this tragedy and begin our new life soon."