The devastation caused by the earthquake in China is horrendous, with officials saying the eventual death toll could reach 50,000, and the tragedy is impacting people in Tucson.

On Friday, May 16, the Sino Choir will perform a benefit concert at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center on River Road. Many choir members have family and friends in China, some of whom were very close to where the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit.

Hua Xu’s husband is in China and he is safe. He’s been sending her an e-mail every day with pictures that are horrifying. “Their house is gone. Their parents gone, or their kids,” she says. In one house, she says, “27 people buried, only 8 survive.”  Hua Xu’s husband was supposed to come home in June, but she says he probably won’t now.

Larry Lang, the Sino Choir’s director, says raising money isn’t the only reason for having the concert. “To show our care and love is another thing,” he says. “We are human beings. We should help support each other.”

Admission to the concert is free, but donations for the earthquake relief efforts will be accepted. The choir and several other groups are scheduled to perform starting at 7 p.m. The Chinese Cultural Center is located at 1288 West River Road.

 Meanwhile students in the University of Arizona College of Medicine’s Asian Pacific American Association are collecting aid for the earthquake victims. A donation box has been set up in the College of Medicine’s Special Events Office where donations of cash or checks can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Checks should be made out to “Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association.”