Last month, the Beijing Hong Kong Jockey Club clubhouse organized a charity fundraising dinnerto help underprivileged children with educational and medical subsidies.

Established in 2008, it is the only non-local clubhouse of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, a charitywith more than 130 years' history.

The event attracted nearly 80 guests, who are members of the clubhouse. Some 22 works,including several Burgundy vintages, were auctioned.

The event raised 6.49 million yuan ($1.02 million). Some of the funds will be used to supporteducation in Qinghai province and Tibet. About 1.64 million yuan will go to Jigme GayaltsenWelfare School in Qinghai in western China. The rest will go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Tibetan senior monk Jigme Gayaltsen founded the welfare school 20 years ago, the first localeducational institution with significant impact in the area. It has been providing free educationand accommodation to its students, and the teachers work there for free.

The school teaches Chinese and Tibetan languages and culture, mathematics and otheroccupational courses to students of all ages, including girls. With students increasing, the worn-out academic building and dormitories have been unable to meet the demand.

"The charitable proceeds of six particular items will be used for supporting the establishment of anew academic building at the school. We invited a renowned architect to design the building, andit is expected to complete in September next year," said Chen Jincheng, executive director ofmembership services at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Unlike the clubhouse in Hong Kong, the one in Beijing doesn't have income from equestrianlottery, and its charity funds mostly come from the donations of members. "At every fundraiser,many people bid for a bottle of wine with an amount far beyond its actual price. They do sobecause of love and benevolence," Chen said.

In order to fund the school operation, Gayaltsen, its president, launched a yak cheese factory. Itmainly exports the products to overseas markets as the strong cheese flavor is betterappreciated by

Westerners. But, after the tainted baby formula scandal in 2008, which involvedmilk and infant formula being mixed with melamine, Gayaltsen's business plummeted.

"The overseas markets don't want to import the cheese anymore because of mistrust of milkproducts quality in China. Our cheese from highland is actually highly natural and pure. I hopemore people would be able to appreciate the products, so I can get some income to support theschool," he said.

Tang Xiaoyao, general manager of the Beijing Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: "I hope that ourmembers can help promote the yak cheese, and help the school develop sustainably. Donationsare temporary, but commercial success of the cheese factory will make the school financially self-sufficient."

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which begins with gaming and ends with charity, has made billionsof yuan in donations to several mainland disaster relief funds, including those related to theSichuan earthquake in 2008 and the Qinghai earthquake in 2010.