Legos (and Loppets) for LingYun

Last Fall when I visited the LingYun region of southern China, near the border with Vietnam, I was amazed to meet little children who hike for hours on mountains paths to reach rural schools. These same children then live in dorms ... not getting home for weeks at a time. The living conditions for these children was saddening.

It was hard to imagine 10 to 12 year old children living away from home at such a young age. Thus, I'm expanding my dorm project to include Legos! These "dorm children" have nothing except what a small backpack holds. Wouldn't it be neat if in addition to rebuilding their dorm, we gave the kids some basic Legos to play with? ... nothing fancy ... just basic building kits. I've found Legos to be almost indestructible, and for children the fun of building is universal. When school and homework are completed for the day, these children could play with Legos! Last year I brought books to the school I rebuilt.  This year ... Legos and Loppets!

If you have used Legos, please send them to me. I will take them to the children of LingYun. I have two requirements:

• Legos should be in good condition
• Legos should be basic construction pieces

You may either contact me by email for more instructions, or just send (or drop off) your Legos to:

• Rich Hoeg (the Northstar Nerd!)
• 3924 Wisconsin Avenue North
• New Hope, Minnesota  55427

In addition, please consider a financial donation to help cover the cost of rebuilding the dorm. In the U.S.A., your donation is tax deductible via the China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF). Here is background concerning the dorm rebuilding project:

• Read the full project report and donate via PayPal
  • Loppets and Legos for LingYun (4 minute video)
  • Loppet for LingYun ... A Frigid Success (we're off to a good start!)

Finally, I've attached two photos and a map from my recent trip to JiaYou. One photo shows me with the JiaYou kids; the second photo are some LingYun children who need your help.
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Comments

[Puneet]

Rich:
This is a great idea.
Legos, in my view, present the perfect balance of fun and creative thinking and stimulation. Great for kids. And as mentioned, very durable and long lasting.

[Bruce Hanson]

Rich,

I think that Legos are an excellent addition to the dorm you are planning. They are reusable, durable, suitable for boys and girls and limited only by the imagination. If you could only bring one universal toy, this is it! Best of luck to you and your project.