Auto Special: Infiniti joins TV race celebrity competitors to support charities

Infiniti set up the Gan Ai Dream Fund in the Chinese version of The Amazing Race II and donated 5 million yuan ($781,775) to One Foundation, the China Development Research Foundation and the China Foundation for Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment in Chengdu, Sichuan province on Aug 15. Provided to China Daily

As the Chinese version of the reality TV show The Amazing Race II completed shooting, premium auto brand Infiniti, co-producer of the program, held a donation ceremony for the Gan Ai Dream Fund in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Aug 15 to fulfill its commitment to charity.

Together with five teams of "Gan Ai", or Dare to Love, stars who took part in the show, Infiniti donated 5 million yuan ($781,775) to One Foundation, the China Development Research Foundation and the China Foundation for Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment.

The fund will be used to take care of children with autism, support kindergarten education for children from mountain villages and help college students start their own business.

The Gan Ai Dream Fund is a reward for the stage champions of the show, and is expected to be used for charity programs chosen by those stars.

It is estimated that a donation of 500,000 yuan would provide emotional assistance and training for 500 families with children with autism, or one year of pre-school education for 340 children from 17 kindergartens in mountain villages, or startup support for several college students.

After massive explosions in the port of Tianjin on Aug 12, two teams of "Gan Ai" stars from the show also pledged 1 million yuan they had won to victims of the blasts.

"Infiniti's Gan Ai Dream Fund receives great support from the stars who took part in the show. In order to help others, they have tried their best in the competition. Not only have they created a great show, but also raised people's awareness and understanding of public welfare," said Daniel Kirchert, president of Dongfeng Infiniti.

"Passing on love is an important part of Infiniti's 'Gan Ai' brand concept. We will keep on making efforts to let public welfare penetrate into every aspect of the corporate and brand development," Kirchert said.

Li Jin, secretary-general of One Foundation, said the foundation helps children with autism, and the parents of those children.

Li said the parents of children with autism can become depressed and overburdened, and need emotional support and skills training to release their stress, so they can take better care for their children.

"It is amazing that a donation of 500,000 yuan could help 500 families with autistic patients, and bring one year of emotional assistance for them," Li said.

Lu Mai, secretary-general of the China Development Research Foundation, said the donation would promote policy improvement and make more people aware of the lack of kindergarten education in mountain villages.

Lu sobbed when he spoke of a recent group suicide of left-behind children in Guizhou province.

He said the suicide would not have happened if the village had a kindergarten and teachers to take care of such children.

"We still have a long way to go. We should equip more villages with kindergartens so the kids will grow up with love," Lu said.

Han Geng, a star participant in the show who is interested in helping college students start their own businesses, said there are many young people willing to fight for a better life, but who are in need of support from society.

"With our efforts, I'm appealing to society to give them more opportunities to develop themselves," Han said.

Yeung Chin Wah, a singer who appeared on the show, said everyone has special talents, and everyone should enjoy opportunities equally. Helping children with autism to have equal and dignified lives, she said, is "the purpose of our amazing race".

Setting up the dream fund for the show is an extension of Infiniti's charity principles - for long-lasting, real effects and broad participation - the company said.

The donation directions of the dream fund match well with those of "Gan Ai Planet", the platform for Infiniti's charity initiatives, according to the company.

Launched in 2014, Infiniti's "Gan Ai Planet" project has already benefited more than 15,000 families with children with autism. It has also helped build 200 kindergartens in four poor counties in mountain areas.

The Chinese version of The Amazing Race II has been very popular with audiences. By Aug 15, views on the Internet had reached 475 million, and page views for the topic on Weibo reached 4 billion.

According to Infiniti, the Chinese version of The Amazing Race, co-produced by the auto brand and Shenzhen TV, is the best example of Infiniti's innovative marketing approach. In contrast to a traditional sponsor of a show, Infiniti took part in the production of the show from beginning to end, including planning, choosing the celebrity participants, filming and editing.

Infiniti's dealers across the country expanded the show to offline experiences by holding Amazing Race Challenges and inviting customers to participate in similar competitions, so as to experience the "Gan Ai" spirit for themselves.

The offline competitions include a Gan Ai Dream Fund of 10,000 yuan for the winning team of each stage to a total of 700,000 yuan, which will be used by the winning teams to support children with autism by offering free lessons and helping them to adapt to society.

Established in 1989, Infiniti is one of the most important premium auto brands in the world. It came to China in 2007 and moved its headquarters to Hong Kong in 2012.

In 2014, Infiniti launched its "Gan Ai" brand concept in China.

China is now Infiniti's second-largest single market after the United States.

duxiaoying1@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/24/2015 page19)