Category Archives: China

Running for China!

China

This June I will run in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. I am dedicating that run to raise money for children and education in rural China via the China Tomorrow Education Foundation!

Life often runs in full circles. In this instance, my family and DongJin (Dj) Cai represent the closing of that circle (see today’s guest post). My father was raised on a farm in Iowa. Money was tight for his family, but courtesy of the United States Navy and the GI Bill, my Dad was educated at Harvard Medical School. He served as a Marine Corps doctor during the Korean War … the enemy was China.

Fast forwarding a number of years, and the family, with me now in tow, are living in a remote part of the United States. My Dad realizes that the ticket to his son’s success is also education. Thus, I left northern Minnesota and went east to Dartmouth College. My goal was a superior education.

Fast forward a whole bunch more years, I am now a corporate manager working for a large Fortune 100 company. My professional focus is technical education and engineering information services. Last Summer I had the opportunity to visit China for the first time and represent my company at the opening of our Shanghai Learning Center. I was moved by China’s dedication to learning. Two months later when I attended Wikimania at Harvard Law School, I met Dj and a friendship bloomed. DJ has now provided me the opportunity to help rural children in China through the gift of education.

Life has come a full circle. The father fought the Chinese; but through education, the son now helps educate rural Chinese children!

Please consider sponsoring me for Grandma’s Marathon and my Run for Chinese Education. Not only will I be putting the proverbial feet to the pavement … for 26.2 miles, but I am also contributing $600 of my own money.

For more information on the China Tomorrow Education Foundation, see my blog’s guest author, DongJin (Dj) Cai, posting for today on the China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF).

CTEF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity organization, all donations will qualify for tax deduction.

Send your email commitment to help sponsor my run, and the children to:

  • Rich Hoeg, at rhoeg@comcast.net.
    (Please include your contact information and the amount of your pledge)

Note to my fellow bloggers … if you might be so gracious, I would appreciate your blogging about my run. Thanks!

Oh …. yes, Happy Chinese New Year!
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Rich Hoeg’s Run for China’s Children: Results to date …

  • Total Money Pledged: $6,725 !!!
  • Last Update: September 20, 2007 – Run for China (read more)

Note: $6k will rebuild the JiaYou Primary School in rural China. Money raised above $6k will purchase books for the JiaYou library. During the late Fall of 2007 I will hike into JiaYou and deliver the books.

In lieu of a cash donations, you are welcome to send books in English or Mandarin which are educationally appropriate for pre-school through the 3rd grade to:

  • Richard Hoeg
  • 3924 Wisconsin Avenue North
  • New Hope, Minnesota  55427

I will personally insure that all books get delivered. Used books in excellent condition are welcome.

Donor List: (Thank you!)

  • Anderson, Glorian and Ronald
  • Baldwin, Alfrieda and Chris
  • Barber, Sally
  • Blackstad, Peter
  • Bloom, Patty
  • Brehmer, Karen (House of Hope Godspell cast member)
  • Brewer, Phillis and Bill
  • Bruning, Thelma and Wally
  • Cramer, Pat
  • Deis, Dan
  • Doely, Reverend Kevin (pastor at House of Hope Lutheran Church)
  • Du, Doris
  • Ellis-Foster, Kelly
  • EMEA Learning Council (EMEA = Europe, Middle East & Africa)
  • Flaa, Mary
  • Fraser, Caroline
  • Fraser, Dougall
  • Fraser, Gerry
  • Fraser, Kathy and Charlie
  • Graft, Amy
  • Griffith, Lynda
  • Grove, Joe
  • Gupta, Puneet (CEO of ConnectBeam)
  • Hanson, Pat and Bruce
  • Hoeg, Carl
  • Hoeg, Janet and Dwight
  • Hoeg, Karen
  • Hoeg, Molly
  • Hoeg, Rich
  • Huebel, Martha
  • Jackson, Jill and Todd
  • Kennedy, Mo (and Kath!)
  • Koch, Rhonda and Roger
  • Larkin, Mary
  • Larson, Clint (Korean War Veteran)
  • Leek, Joseph and Frances
  • Maccaro, Paul
  • Mahon, Susan and Jerry
  • Massimini, Esther
  • McCartney, Lois and Jim
  • Morse, Laurie
  • Mosley, Steve
  • Okimoto, Jennifer
  • Paulucci, Lois and Jeno (Founder and Chairman of Luigino’s)
  • Pratt, Kelly
  • Sanford, Julie and John (Korean War US Army MASH doctor)
  • Schultz, Susan
  • Shanghai Learing Center (benefit auction in early June)
  • Stensaas, Connie and Stanley
  • Sueker, Wayne
  • Teal, Steve
  • Tilton, Lisa
  • Troester, Linda and Tom
  • Veidel, Cathy and Don
  • Vinje, Reverend Mark (pastor at House of Hope Lutheran Church)
  • Wallenfelt, Cheryl and Paul
  • Williamson, Tong

For The Children!

China

Today’s posting is from a guest author, DongJin (Dj) Cai I met Dj at Wikimania last Summer. We were dorm mates, and now consider ourselves friends! Please take a moment and learn how DJ, once a Microsoft software engineer, is now trying to give back to the children in his home region in China. Dj is presently CIO for the China Tomorrow Education Foundation (formal background).

In addition, please read how I will "Run for Chinese Children" this June in Grandma’s Marathon.

Rich (aka Northstar Nerd)
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Five Thousand Year Old History, Five Thousand Year Old Technology
– a mobile library on bike-back story in mountainous rural western China

In Yunnan province, we had a mobile library project. For every village school, we prepared 500~1000 books as local library. Then we efficiently utilized the management routine of the local education system, which arranges teachers from village to meet every month at the central school in the township. The village teacher will ride a bicycle (which is mostly the technology of wheels) and carried a box of about 100 books. The economy and mountain terrain prevent other kinds of transportation. During the meeting, teachers will rotate the books between schools, which is somewhat similar to the inter library loan in US library system.

Starting by our introducing the US idea to the local teachers, they designed the system and operated it all by themselves. Amazingly, this simple system runs quite well and robust for the coming three years. Rural students are eager to read the books with great care. Very little maintenance cost is needed. Therefore, we copied the successful model to more school districts. It is ten times cost efficiency than preparing every school with books. In addition to fewer trees are cut, there is no pollution in transportation. Sometimes, the technology fits best is not the new technology.

DongJin (Dj) Cai.

Happy Spring Festival! CTEF

has –  as of Dec 2006 –
  helped over 80 schools;
    distributed over 30,406 books;
      that amounts to over 2,810,835RMB donated
        =          putting smiling faces on over 32,205 children !

China Tomorrow Education Foundation

CTEF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity organization, all donations will qualify for tax deduction." 

Chinese Christian Folk Art

China

This evening I will attend a small reception for an artist and friend, He Qi. This past Winter he was one of Yale's Artist in Residence. I own two different silk prints, which hang in places of honor in my home (Nativity | Finding Moses).

While I was growing up in Minnesota during the 1960's, and worrying about the fortunes of my favorite Minnesota Twins baseball players, He Qi was being "re-educated" by the Chinese. He Qi was considered an "undesirable" due to his Christian faith, and was sent into the Chinese country side to be learn proper thought. The local authorities learned of his artistic ability, and he was given the task of painting portraits of Chairman Mao. By night, he painted the Madonna.