But they had little idea just how much they could do.

The Chinese American Friendship Association closed its fundraising campaign this week, four weeks after a massive earthquake flattened schools and homes and killed about 70,000 in China's Sichuan province. The local group raised nearly $300,000 -- most of it in small donations from individual Triangle residents.

"We are totally surprised," said Owen Chen of Cary, who is the association's board chairman.

He said they went into the campaign hoping only to beat the $20,000 they raised in February, when snowstorms killed several dozen people in China.

Instead, he found himself spending more than five hours a day processing donations that flooded in through the group's Web site, many of them accompanied by personal notes.

The Triangle's Chinese population is relatively small, numbering about 7,300 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But Chen said the majority of donations came from them.

Some people donated several times, as the news of destruction kept worsening. Many persuaded their employers to match their contributions. One couple sent a note saying that they chose to donate on their wedding anniversary.

"By giving a hand to people who desperately need help, we give ourselves the best gift for our anniversary," they wrote alongside their pledge.

Daling Wen of Cary, president of the Chinese association, said the horrifying pictures and reports, especially those about collapsed schools and trapped children, inspired many to donate.

In rural areas of China, he said, most people are without insurance and will receive very little government assistance.

He said the group will donate all the money it has received to the Chinese Red Cross Society.

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