University Relations
Government & Community Relations

Cherish Chinatown Restaurant Challenge

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  • Tufts Student, Faculty & Staff
  • Boston
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From November 13 through December 18, Tufts’ Cherish Chinatown is organizing a challenge for the entire Tufts university community to join. The goal? Support small businesses in Boston’s Chinatown, the vibrant and diverse home of our Health Sciences Campus. Like all Chinatowns across the US, Boston’s Chinatown was negatively impacted by the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian sentiment. Many Asian-owned restaurants were forced to close their doors permanently. As neighbors and friends of Chinatown, we at Tufts want to continue to show up for our neighborhood. To this end, we are hosting the 4th Annual Cherish Chinatown Challenge, a fun and delicious month-long event.

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Tufts University's Cherish Chinatown Challenge

How It Works

  • Tufts University students, faculty, and staff members order from a locally owned Chinatown restaurant or bakery from November 13- December 18. Dine-in or place an order for take-out/delivery.
  • For every purchase you make at a small business in Chinatown during the challenge, you will be eligible for a raffle entry.
  • To enter the raffle, complete this short form each time you make a purchase. There is no limit to how many times you may enter, as long as you are logging new purchases.

Raffle Prizes

  • Weekly winners: Each Monday of the challenge, we will announce 3 raffle winners. Winners will each receive a $25 gift card to a Chinatown restaurant. Winners will be notified via email to claim their prize.
  • Grand prize winner: To sweeten the challenge, all participants will automatically be entered into a raffle to receive a grand prize of a $250 gift card to Shojo. Winners will be notified via email to claim their prize.
  • Photo submission winner: To encourage creativity with photo submissions, all photos submitted during the challenge will be entered into a raffle to win a gift card to a Chinatown restaurant. 

Learn more 

Cherish Chinatown is a Tufts University initiative that was started in spring 2021 by dental and medical students with support from the office of Government and Community Relations and Tisch College. The aim is to (1) educate Tufts students and employees about the history and cultural importance of Boston’s Chinatown and to (2) organize community engagement opportunities that support Chinatown residents, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in conjunction with Chinatown leaders.

Leadership Committee

  • Volunteer Leaders:

    • Katrina Benjamin, School of Dental Medicine
    • Mel Calica, School of Medicine
    • Brittany Chloe Tope-Ojo, Nutrition Science and Policy
    • Khushi Dave, School of Dental Medicine
    • Mariah Donnell, MPH Program
    • Isabelle Dost, School of Dental Medicine
    • Amanda Du, School of Medicine
    • Emily Hammond, PA Program
    • Issac Harmon, Staff, School of Medicine  
    • Jaclyn Hazlewood, PA Program
    • Chaelin Hong, School of Dental Medicine
    • Grace Jung, School of Medicine
    • Yiman Li, Nutrition Science and Policy
    • Maria Majid, School of Medicine
    • Jillian Mercado, MBS Program
    • Shivani Merchia, MBS Program
    • Lindsay Nordstrom, Staff, School of Medicine
    • Jamyla Palomar, Dental Medicine
    • Christopher Park, School of Medicine
    • Rana Sultan, Dental Medicine
    • Katherine Sung, School of Medicine
    • Victor Wu, School of Medicine
    • Wanqing Xu, Nutrition Science and Policy
    • Yutiancheng Yang, MBS Program
    • Karen Yang, MPH Program
    • Luanting Zhuo, Nutrition Science and Policy

    Staff Advisors: 

    • Aaron Braddock, Administrative Coordinator, Government and Community Relations
    • Kate Eastwood, Administrative Coordinator, Community Service Learning, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tisch College of Civic Life
    • Jennifer Greer-Morrissey, Civic Life Manager, Health Sciences, Tisch College of Civic Life
    • Nancy Marks, Tisch/TUSDM Community Service Program Coordinator, School of Dental Medicine
    • Liza Perry, Deputy Director, Government & Community Relations

  • Student Leaders: 

    • Brittany Chloe Tope-Ojo , Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy
    • Grant Dong, School of Medicine
    • Keara Geckeler, School of Medicine
    • Kayla L. Green, School of Dental Medicine
    • Jake Kwon, School of Medicine
    • Ana Maafs, Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy
    • Anthony Mark, School of Medicine
    • Raine Morris, School of Dental Medicine
    • Ceileigh Weaver, School of Medicine

    Staff Advisors:

    • Jennifer Greer-Morrissey, Civic Life Manager, Health Sciences, Tisch College of Civic Life
    • Awes Hassan, Civic Life Coordinator, Health Sciences, Tisch College of Civic Life
    • Lorena Leza, Staff Assistant, Government and Community Relations
    • Nancy Marks, Tisch/TUSDM Community Service Program Coordinator, School of Dental Medicine
    • Liza Perry, Deputy Director, Government & Community Relations

Past Challenge Results

  • Results:

    • During the 2023 Cherish Chinatown Challenge, Tufts University students, faculty, and staff members logged nearly 500 purchases at small businesses in Boston’s Chinatown during the month-long Cherish Chinatown Challenge.
    • The purchases were made at 84 different restaurants and cafes in the neighborhood.
    • The office of Government & Community Relations purchased 17 gift cards from local restaurants and cafes in Chinatown, including Tea Do, Montien, Pho Pasteur, Shojo and more, that were used as prizes for challenge winners.

    Winners:

    Grand Prize Winners 

    • Erica Kim, N24, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy ($250 to Shojo) 
    • Anthony Mark, M27, School of Medicine ($250 for a class or club gathering)

    4th week raffle winners ($25 gift cards to Montien)

    • Frederick Cudhea, Staff, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
    • Erica Perry, D26, School of Dental Medicine
    • Michael Song, D27, School of Dental Medicine
    • Cheyenne Yu, A24, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts

    3rd week raffle winners: ($25 gift cards to Tea-Do)

    • Aoife Gilvarry, Staff, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
    • MinJin  Lee, M24, MPH Program, School of Medicine
    • Hannah Edenbaum, M26, School of Medicine
    • Shuyue Deng, N27, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy

    2nd week raffle winners: ($25 gift cards to Irashai) 

    • Mitali Banerjee , M27, School of Medicine
    • Jasper Geer, A24, School of Arts and Sciences
    • Charlotte Collins, M27, School of Medicine
    • Anne Hu, E25, School of Engineering

    1st week raffle winners:  ($25 gift cards to Pho Pasteur) 

    • Yue Zhan, N24, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
    • Michelle Lee, D24, School Dental Medicine
    • Panashe Gadaga, D27, School of Dental Medicine
    • Vanessa Rodriguez, D25, School of Dental Medicine

  • Results:

    • During the 2022 Cherish Chinatown Challenge, Tufts University students, faculty, and staff members logged over 500 purchases at small businesses in Boston’s Chinatown during the month-long Cherish Chinatown Challenge.
    • The purchases were made at 90 different small businesses in the neighborhood.
    • The office of Government & Community Relations purchased 21 gift cards from local small businesses in Chinatown that were used as prizes for challenge winners.