News from our newspaper (reporter Guo Ying) At yesterday's pledging ceremony, the selection of the top ten volunteers in Beijing in 2007 was announced. Ten people, including Fu Yiquan, Liu Fuheng, Shi Fumao, Li Yunwei, Li Jinming, William Lindsay, Hu Chuanshuo, Zhao Du, Xu Chunni and Liang Xueya, were elected. The conference awarded them the top ten volunteer trophies in 2007 and wore "smile circles" for them.
Fu Yiquan, born in 1905, is 103 years old and the oldest volunteer in Beijing. He has insisted on community patrol for 30 years.
Zhao Du, who is under 14 years old, is a pioneer of voluntary environmental protection. Since 2002, he has paid close attention to the living conditions of Beijing Swift, the prototype of the Olympic Fuwa Nini, and mobilized more people to join in the protection of the Swift by publishing proposals, editing sketches and other ways. Zhao Du said that he got lost in the street once when he was very young. With the help of volunteers, he successfully found his family. From then on, he decided to become a volunteer when he grew up. "I am very grateful to the volunteers."
Zhao Du said, "Volunteers are a window. People from all over the world during the Olympic Games can better feel a real Beijing through Chinese volunteers."
William Lindsey, a 52 year old Briton, is the only foreigner among the top ten volunteers. Since 1997, William has been collecting garbage on the Great Wall. Over the years, he has also twice organized activities to clean the Great Wall involving hundreds of international volunteers; The Great Wall Environmental Protection Station was established. He called on more people to join in the action of protecting the Great Wall. "The Great Wall is very great, and it is the common wealth of the people of the world. More people are needed to protect it."
