The Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars is raising money for the families of MU researchers Meng Fanjun and Zhang Chunyang. The couple drowned in a Branson hotel pool on July 5.
FACSS President Gao Tong has helped the organization collaborate with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to send five of the researchers’ relatives to the United States.
“They come from rural areas, and they’re not rich families, so they don’t have money to pay for the flights,” Gao said.
Meng’s uncle and sister and Zhang’s father, brother and cousin flew into St. Louis on July 15. Four FACSS officers and seven volunteers will assist the family members with transportation, communication and the memorial service until the relatives return to China on August 10.
Family members viewed the bodies in Branson on July 17. They have not yet decided the date, location or style of the service, which will occur during their stay.
“We have to ask the family what they want to do after they arrive,” FACSS Faculty Advisor Leong Lampo said.
If the family’s memorial service is not in Columbia, FACSS will host an additional one on MU’s campus.
FACSS began collecting donations for Meng and Zhang’s families on July 8 through a Boone County National Bank account. While money received in China paid for the plane tickets, donations collected in Missouri will cover services in the United States and will support the relatives upon their return to China, Gao said.
Both families have low incomes, and Meng’s unemployed mother relied solely on her son’s salary for financial support, Guo said.
MU’s chapter held a similar fundraiser in 2009 to raise money for graduate student Wei Yirui’s medical bill. Wei nearly drowned at the bottom of the Tara Apartments swimming pool. The organization collected over $10,000 with the help of the Melting Pot benefit concert.
Members are optimistic about obtaining more money for the families of Meng and Zhang.
“This year, we have more ways to get funds,” Consultant Guo Xiaoyu said.
Although many donations have been sent to the Boone County Bank, volunteers have posted flyers around campus and will man tables at the MU Student Center, Wal-Mart, movie theaters and the lobby of the University Place Apartments to raise additional funds.
FACSS has raised more than $4,000 so far, but Leong said FACSS needs to raise at least twice that amount to cover the families’ expenses in the United States alone.
“This is probably the last chance for the families to see Meng and Zhang,” Leong said. “They put all their hopes into their two outstanding children, so it’s very important for them to come see their children for the last time.”