The candidates for the 2007 Charity Star of Shanghai include a South Korean businessman and a foreign-born Chinese.

Among the 50 individuals and groups named is 48-year-old Kang Dong-han, the director and general manager of the Shanghai Shijing International Trading Co Ltd. He was nominated as one of the charity star candidates because of his long-term assistance to needy students, the Shanghai Charity Foundation said.

He has donated more than 1.23 million yuan (US$158,500) to the foundation for the Hope Project which helps needy students or children deprived of schooling because of poverty. He has also sponsored 26 students for further study.

"My wealth comes from and belongs to the whole society so I am helping charity to repay society," said Kang.

Another nominee is 63-year-old Seki Miyake, originally named Ding Bo, who was born in Japan but started to sponsor courses for the elderly in 2000.

He has been donating money and health foods worth 50 million yuan to local rest homes.

Miyake was named "Shanghai's Outstanding Overseas Chinese Entrepreneur" in 2004. And his Shanghai Danhua Biological Technical Co Ltd was named among "Shanghai's 100 Best Providers for the Elderly" in January this year.

All of the candidates, whose age ranges between 16 and 89, have made great contributions to society and especially to those who need help, said the foundation.

In spite of entrepreneurs and some celebrities, ordinary people are now a large percentage of the nominated. Retired workers and neighborhood committee employers are among those who have donated their wages to needy patients or helped lonely elderly people, the foundation said.

"They may not own a lot of property and cannot make major donations but they have all tried their very best to make a contribution to society," said Li Chen, an official for the foundation.

(Shanghai Daily September 8, 2007)