Yao Ming raffling trip to Olympics for charity
Associated Press
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is raffling a trip to the Beijing Olympics to raise money for his personal foundation, which he launched to help victims of the May 12 earthquake in China.
Tickets for the raffle are $2 and can be purchased via credit card on a Web site, http://www.netraffle.org.
The winner, to be announced July 21, will receive round-trip airfare from a U.S. city to Beijing, a seven-day stay at a hotel in Beijing from Aug. 7-14, two tickets to the China-USA basketball game at the Olympics, a $1,500 cash stipend, a guided tour of the Great Wall of China, two Houston Rockets jerseys autographed by Yao, two tickets to a Rockets game and a chance to meet Yao after a Rockets game.
"I'm so proud that my country is hosting the 2008 Olympics and I am thrilled that I can help fans visit China, experience the Games and, at the same time, help raise money for the Yao Ming Foundation as we begin our campaign to rebuild schools in the earthquake damaged provinces," Yao said.
Yao unveiled the foundation in late June, saying its first projects would involve rebuilding schools and providing sports equipment and other forms of help to children left homeless by the earthquake in Sichuan province.