Third CCTV Charity Night Held

The third CCTV Charity Night was held in Beijing last Tuesday evening. This year’s themes were philanthropy and poverty alleviation. Ten people were selected by a committee to receive the title of “Charitable Figure of the Year”, based on their contributions to the charity sector. Not looking only for celebrities, the committee also chose individuals who work on the frontline and help the poor within their local communities.
The final list of those selected for the award includes Yao Ming (a basketball player), Xu Zhiwei (a businessman), Deng Yingxiang (a villager from Guizhou), Sun Xuemei (a woman journalist), Liu Fang (a psychiatrist for students), Ta Linfu (an activist for the poor), Baima Yajin (the director of the China Women’s Development Foundation), Xue Fangquan (the head of a charity foundation), Wang Kuan and Wang Shurong (two Yu Opera artists). In addition, a special prize was given to the group who helped to draft the new Charity Law passed in March this year. Two government officials, Wang Shengming and Kan Ke, represented the group in receiving the prize.
At the end of the event, six major charity organizations announced the amount of funds they have collectively spent for philanthropy over the course of the year, equivalent to 2.58 billion Yuan.