Screenshot from Sina Weibo
A public charity event aimed at getting people to donate their hair to people who have been diagnosed with cancer was launched by a fan club dedicated to Chinese star Jackson Yee on Monday , warming the hearts of many Chinese netizens on social media.
The fan club launched the event to support cancer patients who have lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy and to promote their idol’s new film
A Little Red Flower, which is scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 31.
The film tells a warm and realistic story of two families who have family members fighting cancer. Ye plays the role of one of the cancer patients in the film.
More than 300 people participated in the event by cutting off their long hair, which was then delivered to a charity institution in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province.
Wang Xuefei, a 24-year-old fan in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, shaved off all of her hair and donated it to the charity. She posted photos of the event on Sina Weibo, earning numerous likes.
Many netizens left messages to show admiration for her courage, but she told the Global Times on Tuesday that she just wanted to “do her small part” to cancer patients in the hopes of raising public awareness of this special group of people.
“An idol is like a good friend who you have known for many years. Whenever you think of this person, there is a motivation to make yourself better. And you will be very confident and energetic when sharing your idol’s story with others,” said Wang.
She noted that under the influence of her idol and the internet, public charity events such as book donations, blood donations and hair donations have been able to help raise awareness of the disadvantaged groups.
Shen Yue, a 19-year-old girl based in East China’s Jiangsu Province, told the Global Times that though she is not a fan of Yee, she participated in the event because she found it very meaningful.
“I hope the children who have been diagnosed with cancer can have a happy New Year after receiving my hair,” said Shen.
On Monday, the fan club charity’s official Sina Weibo account posted a photo of one girl with cancer who received a wig made from the donated hair. She can be seen wearing her wig while posing with a poster for Yee’s film.
“This is why we follow stars! As a fan, although I cannot make big waves, I want to follow in Yee’s footsteps and bring a little warmth into the world,” another fan going by the netname Yiketangxinli told the Global Times on Sina Weibo.