Yongin Achieves 1.9656 Billion Won in 'Love Train Relay' Year-End Fundraising Campaign

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] On December 29 of last year, Lee Young-eun, a senior at Sanghyeon High School, visited Yongin City. In the envelope she shyly offered was 170,000 won in cash. It was precious money she had carefully saved over a long time to help underprivileged neighbors in the community. Lee said with a smile, "I made this donation to be of even a small help, but my own heart became even warmer. Going forward, I will grow to be someone who thinks of neighbors in need first."

Earlier, on November 6, an elderly couple came forward and donated 1 million won to share their joy and gratitude at welcoming their first grandchild. The couple, who requested anonymity, said, "We wanted to bless the birth of all children. While it is not a large sum, we ask that it be used to help mothers with difficult living circumstances and children with disabilities."

Despite the difficult circumstances everyone faced due to COVID-19, Yongin City was filled with warm hearts wanting to help neighbors in need.

The city announced on the 7th that the year-end and New Year neighbor assistance fundraising campaign, the 'Love Train Relay,' achieved a total of 1.9656 billion won.

This represents a 196% increase from the initial target of 1 billion won and is 234.82 million won more than the previous year's 1.7258 billion won.

Over the 67 days from December 1 of last year through the 5th, 258 individuals, 163 companies, 104 organizations, and 306 groups participated in the Love Train Relay, donating 1.5152 billion won in monetary contributions (526 cases) and 444.541 million won in goods (305 cases).

These include 108 million won from the Seowon Foundation, 100 million won each from KCC Central Research Institute, Sungchang Beneffina, Daejee Engineering Co., Ltd., and Yongin Rodem Park, 30 million won from Samil Ecostech, 20.64 million won worth of white rice 10kg bags (800 packages) from Jogwang Environment, 1.2 million won worth of 100 boxes of tangerines from the Korea Farm Women Association Yongin City Branch, and 50 masks hand-made by students in the English Convergence Forum club of Eojung Middle School—all precious achievements made through hearts for neighbors coming together one by one.

The collected funds will be used through the Gyeonggi Community Chest of Korea to support neighbors in need and social welfare facilities.

Yongin Mayor Baek Gun-gi said, "Despite the difficult situation everyone faces due to COVID-19, because there are many people holding the hands of neighbors in need, the future of Yongin is even brighter." He continued, "We will further accelerate efforts to create 'a new Yongin centered on people' where all citizens can be happy without any neighbors left behind."