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Special thanks to two caring boys

Two young men, Chase and Cole, held a chess tournament fundraiser through Chess Moves, a 501c3 organization. Through the chess tournament, named "Chess Moves COVID-19 Fundraiser Online Blitz Tournament," and the boys raised over $800 for the benefit of DFW Care and Minnie’s Food Pantry. The tournament was well attended and was supported by the Texas Chess Association as well as GM Babakuli Annakov, GM Jeffery Xiong and IM Keaton Kiewra.

They decided to donate half the money raised to DFWCare.

Many thanks to Chase and Cole! Your drive to contribute inspires us all.

Dallas CoVID19 Journal (3)

Diana Wang (3/19/2020)

Originally, I was going to help deliver PPE to hospitals today, but a few legal documents weren't ready, so we have to wait for tomorrow. DFW CAERI was created on the 17th, and the first shipment of PPE was prepared on the 20th--they're fast.

Hospitals aren't short on money, but the emergency response system is not fully operational yet. Medical staff lack Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and doctors are going unprotected. Our Chinese community trying to buy time and use civilian power to get supplies to the medical staff as soon as possible.

When Li Wenliang (a Chinese doctor) passed away, many people expressed their sadness online. His wife, the head nurse of the central hospital didn't even get to say goodbye. When I saw her rush to her husband's hearse, I burst into tears.

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We can't directly protect the doctors and nurses thousands of miles away, but we must not stand idle for those that are within reachable distance.

In the face of disaster, we must work together to buy time and flatten the curve as much as possible. This is the most critical and crucial month. Each of us has an obligation to protect those who heal us.

I have never seen so many Chinese people do charity work so fast and united.

Parents set their high school students calling hospitals to determine their need of PPE. Hospitals that suspected from the beginning soon realized that it was indeed the Chinese who were working hard to contribute to the community, and began to accept donations.

The fastest way to contact the hospital in need of materials, parents sent their high school students to call. The hospital suspected from the beginning to realize that it was indeed the Chinese who were working hard to contribute to the community, and then began to accept donations. This is no trival matter.

Within a few days, eight hospitals started accepting donations, including Baylor Hospital (which has twenty-two branches). The total amount of donations has reached $70,000 and we have received ¥17,000 from China.

Let's be there for each other during this storm. Before, we did this for Hubei, but now we are doing it for our community.

Everyone has a responsibility to protect the community.

We don't have time to make a beautiful logo, so let's start with something simple. We call ourselves the “DFW Chinese Community Epidemic Relief Alliance.” Our purpose is to provide hospitals with emergency supplies in a short period of time.

Together, we can do so much.

Dallas CoVID19 Journal (1)

Diana Wang (3/19/2020)

In early 2020, the first half of the epidemic battle took place in Hubei. Right after the Chinese community in Dallas learned about the Wuhan epidemic, they immediately created a group to organize donations for Hubei. Many local Chinese groups joined the effort. In just ten days, they raised $230,000 USD to buy PPE which followed the hospital standards in China.

Suddenly, everybody became a mask expert, PPE expert, customs/export professional. In total, more than a dozen batches of PPE was sent to various Wuhan hospitals. For each box, a volunteer had to purchase, pack, and print a customs declaration. Additionally, these volunteers were scolded by the Chinese state and private media. Despite the hostility, volunteers continued to help, feeling that fighting back would only result in loss of life. It would be better to just save this energy to help.

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Now that the Chinese epidemic is under control, the main battle has shifted to the US.

Only then did the Chinese community here realize they had sent all the masks avaliable, shipped without hesitation. Many families didn't even prepare themselves for the epidemic. Those that grew up in America are usually naive and pampered. They thought it was only as serious as the flu. The Chinese community saw the effect of the epidemic through the screen, so we understood the severity. It wasn't until earlier this month that everyone came to their senses and understood CoVID19 was far more terrifying, contagious, and deadly than the flu.

Every life is precious, regardless of nationality or age. Now that the epidemic has spread to our place of residence, we have the obligation to protect our home.

According to "The Texas Tribune," as of today (March 19), there were 161 cases in Texas, three deaths, and at least 2,335 people tested. There are seven cases where I live in Collin County. The population pf Texas is thirty-million and the population of Collin County is one-million. According to these ratios, the situation isn't bad. However, not many people have been tested. As more testing kits are distributed over the next two weeks, the data will become more accurate.

We can't rest, we must finish the second half of the battle.

Currently, large gatherings have been cancelled. Dine-in has been banned and restaurants can only do take-out orders. The government holds daily press conferences to announce new initiatives, such as free testing and treatment. If hospitalization is needed, the government will provide fourteen days worth of salary.

I don't understand why some people are fleeing to China to avoid CoVID19, even after they get the virus. Just a single family carrying the virus ruined the entire image of us in the eyes of China. From this single incident, an argument pitting the Chinese community in China versus in America began. What created so much hate between the two communities? Even with this anger, we must continue to help those in need.

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The "Chinese Community Epidemic Relief Alliance" was created by Liu Fuqin on March 17. Within two days, 450 joined. Several leaders from the Hubei Volunteer Group also joined for the second half of the battle.

The next thing to do was to find an organization that could assist with donations. Few people knew what Ramunion would do. Everyone was suspicious asked reasonable questions. Ramuion answered their concerns and ensured that all donations would be transparent, publishing donation information every day. Trust was built up little by little. Only through cooperation can we grow relationships and understanding.

In addition to questions regarding donations, there were concerns about supply. Where will the PPE come from? How could we ensure the quality of the PPE? They quickly set up standards to avoid swindlers.

What about hospitals? All the local hospitals have a shortage of masks, but because of strict procedures, they don't accept PPE from non-government approved vendors casually. Volunteers must call each location and ask if they will accept donations. If they accept, the criteria must be listed. All the knowledge of PPE volunteers learned from the first half of the battle comes in handy at this moment.

Enthusiasm is not enough. We must be organized and knowledgeable to be an effective organization. It is quite moving that we have recieved donations from China. Behind every cloud is a silver lining. Even the quietest and farthest sound of support will warm our hearts.

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The last part of my article was flagged as sensitive and was deleted. I don't remember what I wrote, so here are a few last words:

I feel like I am suffocating.