Torchbearers line up to put money into a donation box while attending an event to contribute to quake-hit areas in Longyan, East China's Fujian Province, May 13, 2008. The Olympic torch relay continued its planned route in Fujian Province on Tuesday after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake jolted Southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday, leaving nearly 12,000 dead. [Xinhua] |
Li Xinyan, the fifth torchbearer in Longyan's relay, and also an entrepreneur of an engineering machinery enterprise in Fujian, contributed 5 millions yuan to help with those affected by the quake.
"As a torchbearer, I hope to pass on affection to the people in the earthquake-hit areas, and try to do something to help those affected by the disaster," said Li.
"The Olympic torch relay is not only to pass the the spirit of Olympics, but also to hand on love and harmony," said Zhang Xiangxiang, the first torchbearer in Quanzhou's relay.
There are quite a handful world medalists in the torchbearers, including Zheng Meizhu and Hou Yuzhu, members of the Chinese women's volleyball team entitled five world champions in succession in 1980s, Guo Yuehua, a world-famous table tennis player with eight successive world titles, Shi Zhiyong and Ji Xinpeng, the Olympic champions of weightlifting and badminton.
