Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is gaining attention as it is expected to achieve an overwhelming first place among autonomous districts nationwide as a result of leading an innovative model of the 'Hometown Love Donation System' implemented since January last year.
According to Dong-gu on the 7th, a total of 8180 donors from all over the country participated last year, raising a total of 926 million KRW. In particular, from July 18, last year, when the private information system operation started in cooperation with the comprehensive portal for the Hometown Love Donation System, 'Wigib', until the end of the year, a total of 636 million KRW was raised. This amount is more than twice the 289 million KRW raised through the official online platform 'Hometown Love e-um' from the beginning of the year.
Considering that the donation amount in most autonomous districts nationwide without operating a private fundraising information system is less than 300 million KRW, Dong-gu's donation amount is expected to be overwhelmingly first among autonomous districts. It is also a top-ranking achievement among autonomous local governments nationwide, including metropolitan city units.
As a basic local government of a metropolitan city, Dong-gu was expected to face difficulties in promoting the Hometown Love Donation System due to the relatively weak sense of solidarity toward the hometown and the vulnerability of local representative specialties, owing to the characteristics of the old downtown area compared to general city and county-level autonomous districts. Accordingly, Dong-gu sought a breakthrough with a differentiated strategy based on transparency, creativity, and community spirit.
From the early stages of implementation last year, Dong-gu established a strategy to clearly present the use of donations so that donors could empathize, and discovered fund projects such as the 'Gwangju Theater 100-Year Project' and the 'Developmental Disability Youth East Tigers (E.T) Baseball Team Support Project,' starting fundraising through designated donations.
The funds raised from donors nationwide are used to commemorate the history and culture of the oldest single-screen theater in Korea (opened in 1934), preserve Gwangju Theater as a Korean cultural heritage, improve facilities for the convenience of Gwangju Theater users, and operate various film and humanities programs utilizing Gwangju Theater.
Additionally, the funds will be used for operating expenses of the baseball team, rehabilitation and dream support projects, and construction of a dedicated baseball practice field to help developmental disability youth improve their health, confidence, and social skills through baseball activities.
Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, "The remarkable achievement of Dong-gu's Hometown Love Donation System is the fruit of relentless efforts through creative and strategic attempts without settling for the region's limitations." He added, "In the second year of the Hometown Love Donation System project, we will continue to effectively operate the hometown love fund with more innovative ideas and public-spirited beliefs to contribute to the formation of related populations and the promotion of the region's economy, culture, and welfare."
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