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| ▲ An old man in Daegu concluded his appointment with himself and handed over 50 million won checks and memos to the social welfare community chest. | |
| Ⓒ Daegu Social Welfare Community Chest |
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‘Daegu Kiddari Uncle’, who has donated anonymously since 2012, ended a 10-year sharing that keeps his promise with him.
According to the Daegu Social Welfare Community Chest, on the 22nd, a phone called “Let’s have dinner together if we have time.”
Uncle Longari met a fundraiser at a restaurant near the community chest and handed him an envelope with a check and memo worth 50 million won.
In the memo he wrote, “I’m thinking of quitting anonymous donations this time. I’ve become 10 girls with my promise,” he said. “I hope many people who think the same as me will participate.” He also wrote, “I feel a lot of joy and happiness to share, learn and appreciate.”
Uncle Longleg also explained the story behind his donation. He was born in Gyeongbuk and came to Daegu to study in the 1960s, but he became the head of his father early in Yeoui high school and had no choice but to work to take care of his family.
After marriage, they started their honeymoon in a single room with less than 3 pyeong (about 10㎡), but the old couple said that they lived a life of saving money and sharing one-third of the profits with marginalized neighbors.
Since then, starting with a donation of 100 million won to the Community Chest in January 2012 while running a small company, it has donated around 100 million won every year until this year.
Whenever he faced a crisis, Mr. Longari was encouraged by the employee to stop donating, but from the beginning, he kept sharing with the idea that “this money is not my money” by separating some of the profits.
After donating 120 million won again in December of the same year, the staff of the community chest started calling him “Mr. Long Legs,” and since then, every December until 2018, they made donations anonymously.
In December of last year, he delivered a memo saying, “I’m sorry to have written down, because I was sharing”, and he ended his promise with himself by donating 50 million won this year.
The amount donated by Mr. Longlegged so far amounted to 1,035 million won over 10 times.
His wife said, “When I donated the first and second time, I didn’t know that my husband was a long-legged uncle,” he said. “One day, when I saw the handwriting in the newspaper, I guessed it was my husband, and I found out.”
“I can’t change the world with my own efforts,” said the long-legged uncle, saying, “I hope more long-legged uncles are born and become a society where we can be together.”
An official from the community chest said, “The children know that their father is a long-legged uncle, and even their children and grandchildren are taking the lead in helping marginalized neighbors in their daily lives.”
Hee-jeong Lee, Secretary General of the Daegu Social Welfare Community Chest, said, “I deeply thank Uncle Longari for practicing warm sharing for a long time.” I will do my best to do it.”