The Kobe Bryant China Fund was set up to “raise money for education, sports, and culture programs for children from China and the United States”. “In the US, Bryant’s existing fund, the Kobe Bryant Family Foundation, set up in 2006, will also work to strengthen ties between the two countries by teaching middle school students about Chinese language and culture”. As of 2009, the fund has “raised a total of 42 million yuan, which is equivalent to 6.15 million dollars, from various enterprises.” The first donation was to the children of the quake-hit Sichuan Province, and was worth five million yuan or 732,000 dollars. At the charity event, for the China Fund, Bryant was presented with the Soong Ching-Ling Charity Award. Bryant said at the reception, “I am very excited to help kids be better