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Funds established for victims in Chinese restaurant robbery
By Justin Goble
Two separate benefit funds have been set up to assist the victims who were shot during a Nov. 15 robbery at the China Dragon restaurant in Cullowhee.
Funds have been established by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Sylva First United Methodist Church to offset the victims medical expenses.
Cai Bolin and Jie Lin, employees at the restaurant, were hit by gunfire during the incident. Both were admitted to Mission Hospitals in Asheville in critical condition after the robbery, and have been released. Owner Qi Lin was shot in the thigh, and was released from Mission.
The benefit fund established at Macon Bank by the Sheriff’s Office is intended to help with the family’s medical expenses, which are predicted to be very high.
“The medical costs are going to be astronomical,” Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe said. “There’s the cost of the airlift, and three people have been in the intensive care unit.”
Along with the staggering medical costs, Ashe said that public support for the victims prompted him to set up the fund at Macon Bank.
“It’s phenomenal, the amount of public outcry,” he said. “I had 37 messages on my phone over the course of one night, all of which where asking if anything was going to be done for the Lin family.”
Debra Smith,, who is overseeing the fund at the bank, said that privacy laws do not allow her to divulge how much money has been given to the fund.
Ashe said that the account will stay open for as long as is needed to cover the medical expenses.
“We’re going to keep it open until we hear back from the Victims Compensation Services Board,” he said. “But even that is going to be a minimal amount, and won’t come near covering the medical expenses. We’re asking churches and other organizations to assist this family.”
Each Macon Bank branch in Western North Carolina is set up to take donations to the fund by cash or check.
Another fund is being established by the First United Methodist Church in Sylva. Though not currently active, Associate Pastor Phyllis Glahn said that the church is getting the fund prepared. The church will take donations by check and cash, though anyone contributing has to specify that the monies are intended for the Lin family fund.
Health services are also being donated to the victims. Harris Regional Hospital is donating home health services, and the Smoky Mountain Center is donating metal health services.
According to Amy Lin, wife of owner Qi Lin, all those who were injured in the robbery are recuperating well. She also said that her husband is starting to think about reopening the restaurant.
“We’ll probably reopen in January,” she said. “Now that my husband is getting better, he is wanting to talk about reopening. Before, he didn’t want to talk about it. The (Western Carolina University) students will also be coming back from break in January. We’ll definitely be open.”
Amy Lin said that she and her family were overwhelmed by the amount of support that has been shown since the shootings.
“We really want to say ‘thank you’ to the people in the community for supporting us,” she said. “It really has been amazing.”
For more information about the benefit funds, contact Macon Bank at 631-9700 or First United Methodist at 586-2398.
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