Living La Vida Local: Buy Books, Make a Difference

Sad news trickled in last week: Yang Bing, the little boy who the Beijing community came together to raise money for in early December, still hasn’t received his bone marrow transplant. The doctors are holding off due to a risk of infection. Leslie Simpson from Roundabout Charity, who has barely left the boy’s family’s side during this ordeal, has been updating us regularly. Hopefully, Yang will start prepping for surgery at the end of the month.

The relentless efforts and generosity shown by Leslie should be an example to all of us. So get off your butt and brave the lingering clouds of smog this weekend to lend Roundabout Charity some support. They are holding a book fair at the British School of Beijing on Saturday, and bibliophiles can expect to see tables, boxes and trays loaded with everything from cookbooks to biographies. All proceeds will go to repaying the surgery for Wang Xiaoyan, a 16-year-old who had a tumor removed from her leg in late December.

The charity store is also starting a half-price sale on sporting goods and pet care items. There will be some great bargains, so do good, and don’t miss out.

Photo: Wisegeek