Playing Ping-Pong in Sisters for Trip to China

Ten Sisters High School students will be going to China this summer for two weeks — but to get there, they have to raise a lot of money.

On Sunday, the group held a round-robin ping-pong tournament and raffle at Earthwood Homes in Sisters.

About 25 players of all levels showed up to play.

David Perkins, who teaches Mandarin at Sisters High, lived in Asia for 26 years and says the trip is an opportunity for the kids to practice Chinese.

The cost per student is $2,800.

So why a ping-pong fundraiser? Because it’s a Chinese game.

“The opening up of China started with ‘ping-pong diplomacy’ when Nixon was president,” Perkins said. “And Chinese are awesome at ping-pong. So these guys are training to beat the Chinese when they come to Sisters for tourism.”

The kids have already picked up pine needles and staged a car wash. And they aren’t done.

On Monday, Dr. Todd Sheldon is hosting a sale for eyeglasses, and is donating 10 percent of all his proceeds to the trip.

They’re also having a car wash on the weekend of the Sisters Rodeo.