Typhoon Morakot Relief Mission

ROOT INTERNATIONAL PEACE CORPS AND CHAO FAMILY FOUNDATION EXCEEDED FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $100,000 IN SUPPORT OF TAIWAN TYPHOON MORAKOT RELIEF EFFORTS AND SETS NEW GOAL OF $150,000
To continue the relief efforts, we encourage individuals, communities, and associations to donate and support Typhoon Relief to help us meet our new goal of raising $150,000.

PALO ALTO, California – September 3, 2009

Root International Peace Corps (RIPC 美國路竹會), a US-based, non-profit disaster relief organization, and the Ping and Amy Chao Family Foundation (趙修平夫婦基金會) are pleased to announce that they have collaboratively fundraised over $100,000 in donations from the community all across North America and individuals in support of ongoing relief efforts related to Taiwan Typhoon Morakot. Due to overwhelming need overseas, we have decided to raise the new target to $150,000. Chao Foundation pledges to match funds to meet the new goal of $150,000. We encourage individuals, communities, and associations from all across the world to unite in helping Typhoon Morakot victims and restoration.

Chinese and Asian communities across North America had responded to this crisis with overwhelming support. A successful August 23 fundraising event co-hosted by World Journal and San Francisco Chinese Business Association raised $40,000 plus $40,000 matching fund from Chao Foundation. Chao Foundation’s dollar-for-a-dollar matching program also helped raise over $21,000 so far on the internet non-profit online community www.eastvillagers.org.

RIPC and Chao Foundation will use the donated funds through joint relief efforts to provide medical aid and supplies in partnership with its sister organization Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC 臺灣路竹會), a 15-year old Taiwan-based non-profit that is widely considered the A-team in medical and disaster relief. Over the years, the TRMPC has mobilized over 6,000 volunteers and is known for being the first onsite in over 25 countries across 200 missions that have so far touched over 100,000 lives.

“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to North American Chinese and Asian communities and individuals for your generous donations and support to address the enormous challenge of providing medical care and equipment to those affected by Typhoon Morakot,” said RIPC and TRMPC President Dr. Chi-Chun Liu.

“Chao Foundation feels privileged to partner with so many individual donors in support of Typhoon relief efforts. Regardless if it’s ten dollars or thousands of dollars, Dr. Liu and I will make sure that every dollar donated through TRMPC/RIPC will be put to best use for Typhoon relief,” said Ping Chao, chairman and founder of Chao Foundation. “Our online fundraising and matching program raised over $21,000 within merely two weeks. More importantly, with the help of non-profit online community www.eastvillagers.org, we literally brought together a diverse group of people from all across U.S. and Canada, young and not-so-young, Chinese speaking and non as one community behind this important cause. That’s just incredible.”

For those wishing to learn more about this important cause, donation information and timely updates about the relief mission can be found at the Chao Foundation and RIPC’s online non-profit community and fundraising host www.eastvillagers.org.  Here is the Chao Foundation website www.chaofoundation.org and RIPC website www.ripcusa.org.

About RIPC and RIPC

In 2007, Root International Peace Corps (RIPC 美國路竹會) was founded in the US as a sister organization of Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC 臺灣路竹會) to provide services in response to increasing needs across the globe. Over the years, TRMPC has mobilized over 6000 volunteers. Its 197 missions so far have touched over 100,000 lives from high mountains of Taiwan to 25 countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, South America, Eastern Europe and South Pacific. Founded in 1995 through the vision of Dr. Chi-Chun Liu, TRMPC believes that medical service should transcend national borders and exceed the limitations of politics, race, and religion. It holds as its end goal a united international community working in cooperation to bring about equitable access of healthcare to all populations. Since then, TRMPC has extended its services to include disaster relief, humanitarian aid, public health education and development. More information about RIPC and TRMPC is available at www.ripcusa.org and www.taiwanroot.org.

About Chao Foundation

The Ping and Amy Chao Family Foundation (趙修平夫婦基金會) was founded in California’s Silicon Valley in 2005 by Ping Chao and his wife Amy Chao. It was established exclusively for charitable purposes. The foundation aims to fund and nurture initiatives improving the health and well-being of children and youth in economically disadvantaged regions throughout the world; promoting the spirit of philanthropy and developing awareness of non-profit practices and opportunities for service for the younger generation of China and the greater Chinese Diaspora. More information about the Chao Foundation is available at www.chaofoundation.org.

For More Information Please Contact:

U.S.
Ping Chao
Chao Foundation and Root International Peace Corps
408-316-3551
admin@eastvillagers.org

Taiwan
Dr. Chi-Chun Liu
Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps
886-2-86676700
tradm@taiwanroot.org

美國加州 Palo Alto市及台灣同時發佈 –  2009年9月3號

美 國路竹會(RIPC, 美國之非營利救援組織) 及 趙修平夫婦基金會 今日宣布 在兩會共同努力下，為莫拉克颱風賑災，收到美加地區 各社團及個人捐款 共十萬美元。隨著時間的推進及對災情的更多瞭解，兩會決定把目標推高到十五萬美元，以供需求。趙修平夫婦基金會仍維持對等追加捐款方式，鼓勵 全世界任何個人及社團共襄盛舉。

莫拉克颱風造成的傷害，無與倫比。而緊急救援行動, 在投入大量人力時, 需要財力支援。 兩會在北美洲展開連續籌款活動，穫得各方熱烈響應。 八月二十三日又與世界日報及舊金山中華企業協會合作, 進行賑災勸募。當日捐得四萬美元，趙修平夫婦基金會即時對等追加四萬美元。 同時，趙修平夫婦基金會 以同樣的對等追加捐款方式, 經由 東村族( www.eastvillagers.org 網路非營利社區) 鼓勵電腦連線捐款。到發稿為止, 東村族賑災募款平台的捐款總數已超過二萬一千美元。

兩 會將賑災善款透過 台灣路竹會（TRMPC）用於提供災民的醫療援助及賑災資源上。台灣路竹會是美國路竹會的姊妹組織,成立迄今15年，被公認為一優秀的台灣非營利醫療災難 救援組織。台灣路竹會曾動員超過6,000名志工在災後第一時間趕到災區，救援行動遍及25個國家，出動200次任務，截至目前為止，救援人數已超過 100,000人。

路竹會會長劉啟群醫師說， “我們衷心感謝北美洲所有的社團和個人為提供災民的醫療照顧及設備慷慨解囊。這次救援行動，挑戰性比以往都高。 你們的愛心﹐無論在資源及士氣上，都是很大的鼓勵，讓我們可以為更多災民的需求提供更多的援助。”

趙修平說，“這幾週來 與這麼多的捐款善士併肩努力，非常感動。我與路竹會劉會長一定會把每一分毫捐款 ，充分並且及時運用到救災任務。此外，電腦連線捐款在頭兩週內就達到兩萬一千美元，達成原定的兩萬美元目標。東村族 www.eastvillagers.org 協助的賑災募款平台，把分布在美加廣大地區的有心人牽到一起。不分老少，地域，國籍，語言，每個人都無私的投入了愛心。這是始料未及的。”

如果你想更瞭解此次賑災的任務，捐款及救援最新消息，請上非營利社區及募款平台 www.eastvillagers.org 或台灣路竹會網站 www.taiwanroot.org。