We at DAIS always say “Together is Better”, and it’s not just a soundbite. We try to prove this every day, especially when a member of our big family is in trouble. The story of our colleague is yet another example of DAIS community spirit.
It was just an ordinary Friday, August 27th, when Dalian news channels reported that an iconic residential building in Dalian Development Area is on fire. More than 800 people lost their homes and all belongings despite all the efforts of firefighters.
Soon we found out that one of those unfortunate ones was our colleague working in an administrative position at DAIS. Luckily she was safe and sound, but all her possessions were lost, and she felt hopeless. The government helped all victims, lodged them in hotels and provided with some basic essentials, but still the situation was devastating, especially for those who didn’t have an insurance or savings. Of course, our school community stepped in right away to support its member.
The Sunshine Committee – a group of enthusiastic DAIS teachers – decided to coordinate an effort and plan some practical ways to help our colleague with the immediate needs. The school staff collected a lot of daily necessities, clothes, houseware and even some small gifts. We also ran a fundraiser and accepted cash donations. It was truly heartwarming to see how people come together and support her in this tough time!
Our colleague was also invited to live on campus until she finds a new home, and CV residents decided to cook and bring hot dinners for her so that she doesn’t feel lonely.
To attract more donations and engage more employees in fundraising the Sunshine Committee decided to run a raffle with some nice prizes – school branded bags, bottles and lunch boxes. The main prize was offered by the Dalian Hard Rock Hotel – an overnight stay in a deluxe ocean view room with two breakfasts! Hundreds of raffle tickets were purchased, and all proceeds were also given to our beloved colleague.
On Monday, September 13th we came together in the multipurpose room on campus to raffle off these amazing prizes. Our dear colleague attended the event in person to draw the winning ticket and to say thank you to all people who came to support her.
To wrap up the celebration, the Sunshine Committee presented our colleague with the money that we have raised as a community over the past two weeks. It has been so incredible to see our amazing community come together to support our friend. We managed to collect some impressive amount of money, and we hope this contribution will help our colleague to make a fresh start. We love to see this happy smile on her face!
Thank you everyone for showing that together really is better.
