Man finishes 12-hour ‘Chinatown run’ to raise $24,000 for Covid-19 Workers

Jobless and without access to a gym, aspiring firefighter Leland Yu decided to combine fitness, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and Covid-19 support into an ambitious 62-mile run dubbed “Run for Chinatown,” according to CBS.  

“It was kind of a lightbulb moment,” he said. “One day on my run I thought ‘How can I help give back to my community?’”

Although Yu was never a competitive racer, on May 1 he ran 12 hours through rain and sun until he crossed the finish line in New York City’s Chinatown to the theme song of Rocky. 

“All of me felt good. My mind, body, soul,” said Yu, who hopes to turn this into an annual event.  

The $24,000 that he raised was donated to Welcome to Chinatown, a new organization whose purpose is to support businesses in Chinatown that have suffered due to increased xenophobia during the coronavirus pandemic. 

A significant part of its work is focused on delivering meals from restaurants to frontline health workers. At $10 per meal, Yu was able to fund 2,400 meals.   

“From one little idea I had while I was out for a jog,” Yu said. “That’s a pretty good feeling.”

AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our  Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.