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HIGH POINT — As restaurant owner Wang Xing lay in a coma at High Point Regional Hospital, severely beaten a month ago while making a late-night food delivery, police and residents came together to find his attackers. They canvassed neighborhoods and two men were arrested.

Xing awoke from the coma after two weeks but remains in serious condition.

Now, residents are coming together again — this time to help Xing's wife and three young daughters handle the medical expenses.

"His restaurant, Dragon City, has been closed since the attack," said Cheryl Dobbins Nocera of Leadership: High Point, the High Point Chamber of Commerce program that has started a fund to help the Xing family. "With the economy the way it is, the restaurant remaining closed and all the expenses from the hospital, we just thought someone should help this family."

The Lend-a-Hand for Wang Xing Fund is seeking donations to an account at Southern Community Bank in High Point. Nocera said her group is asking for donations of $5 a person — about the cost of going out for lunch — and hopes to present a check to the family after Oct. 31.

"When we heard about this attack, our hearts just went out to him and his family," Nocera said. "Five dollars is such a small amount of money for most of us, but it could do so much good to help this neighbor of ours and member of the business community get back on his feet."

Nocera said she hopes churches and community groups will spread the word to their members.

Police arrested two High Point men earlier this month in connection with the beating. Adrian Paul Archer, 18, of 211 W. Hartley Drive, Apt. J, and Lionell Jeremy Hightower, 23, of 211 W. Hartley Drive, Apt. K, remain in the Guilford County jail.

Both were charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempt to commit a felony. Bond was set at $1 million.

Customers of the Dragon City restaurant said they remember Xing, 39, always having a smile on his face.

"You can't imagine something like that happening to somebody who wouldn't hurt anyone," said Jake Burton, 31. "He was trying to live the American dream - raising a family, working a lot of hours, delivering the orders at the restaurant he owns. What's more American than that? This shouldn't happen to someone like that."

Nocera said she hopes a brutal beating won't be the end of that dream for Xing or his family.

"The family speaks very little English and they came here from China looking for a better life," Nocera said. "He's a small businessman just trying to provide for his family and contribute to the community — it makes you sick that something like this happened. We want to do this to show this family that our community is also full of good people, people who help each other."

Contact Joe Killian at 883-4422, Ext. 228, or joe.killian@news-record.com