Across the globe on any given day, thousands of University of Minnesota alumni communicate, network and support each other in different ways. In the case of the UMAA’s Shenzhen Chapter in southern China, that concept took on a whole new meaning in January 2020. With the Covid-19 outbreak just announced and the city of Wuhan on lockdown, it soon became apparent that medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) were becoming increasingly scarce. The Shenzhen chapter’s leaders quickly responded with their “Fight Coronavirus charity campaign.” Focused on helping alleviate this crisis in central China, through their efforts they raise more than RMB110,000 yuan (approximately $16,000) for supplies from over 800 U of M alumni, students, and community members. However, procuring the protective gear proved difficult due to manufacturing delays world-wide. Through hard work and extensive networking, this group leveraged their Minnesotan connections with current University students, 3M and alumni in Europe to get these much needed supplies to the areas with the highest need. The resulting donations of masks, goggles and protective clothing were distributed between almost 20 hospitals in China.
In late February when alumni in Shenzhen needed to return to work, the chapter once again collaborated to provide masks to those in need as well as to students in the underdeveloped Guangxi Provinces. Other highlights of the Shenzhen chapter’s 3-month campaign included opening a hotline that provided psychological counseling services to U of M alumni free of charge for one month. And held a virtual culinary competition in honor of the Spring Festival to relieve stress for all during the quarantine period. This highly entertaining competition had over 200 viewers voting on the final winners and helped relieve stress and prioritize joy in those difficult times. What began with the simple desire to support local healthcare workers in a time of great need, quickly grew into a three month long campaign, connecting them with alumni chapters throughout the world in Guanghzou, Beijing, Japan, Pakistan, Germany and engaging more than 500 alumni; showing how the world can come together to support each other during this unprecedented crisis. They truly demonstrate how we all can be #UMNProud!