Wei Zhigang, a worker in an oil exploration company in Songyuan city, Northeast China’s Jilin province, devoted much of his spare time to charitable activities, such as blood donation and publicizing blood donations with a voluntary team founded by him several years ago.

He had donated a total of 4,800 ml of blood on 24 occasions in the past four years.

At the end of 2008, Wei became one of the city’s first group of first-aiders after receiving training and undergoing a test. Then he founded Jilin province’s first publicity team for blood donations and a voluntary first-aid team, promoting the basic knowledge of blood donations and first aid skills to local residents with his team members.

He once went to the county-level and grassroot units across Songyuan city, traveling more than 1,300 kilometers to give out more than 20,000 brochures and set up two registration centers during a 7-day vacation in August 2009.

As a first aid trainer, Wei also organizes training programs within the team, as well as giving instructions of first aid to local enterprises, public institutions and residential communities. In the past three years, he has given more than 30 lectures and brought along a 1000-odd members first aid team.

Early in 2008 when Wei Zhigang had taken charge of the province’s Red Cross Volunteer Service Center for no more than a month, a massive 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan in Southwest China’s Sichuan province on May 12. He planned a fundraising program to aid victims, and raised a total of 35,000 yuan ($5,720) for disaster relief.

Wei Zhigang talks to a student. [Photo/zgsyb.com.cn]

At the end of 2009, he launched an organization to offer poor students financial support. The organization has raised more than 140,000 yuan ($22,838) and benefited a total of 82 students.