Posted on: Thursday, December 30, 2004
Local relief efforts
Advertiser Staff and News Services
East-West Center Tsunami Relief Fund
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser Mail checks, payable to American Red Cross International Response Fund, to 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816. Write "South Asia earthquake/tsunami" in the memo area to direct your donation to this cause.
People can make credit-card donations by calling the Red Cross on O'ahu at 734-2101 or the national Red Cross at (800) Help-Now (435-7669).
Donations of non-perishable food and supplies may be dropped off at the warehouse of the Oceanit engineering company, 810 Pohukaina St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Checks payable to "Windward Rotary-Sri Lanka Tsunami Fund" may be dropped off at any Bank of Hawaii branch or mailed to Rotary Club of Windward Oahu, P.O Box 122, Kailua, HI 96734
Information: 732-0878
North Shore Catamaran Charters will be hosting a sunset whale watch cruise out of Haleiwa Harbor on Jan. 14 at 3:30 p.m., with all proceeds benefitting victims of the tsunami disasters.
A minimum $25 donation is required, but a larger donation is welcome. The regular kama'aina rate for the cruise is $50.
Seats are limited. For reservations, call Capt. Ray Beatty at 638-8279.
Preschools across the state are trying to raise $20,000 in two days to benefit the UNICEF children's tsunami relief in South Asia.
To donate, mail or drop off checks for the Southeast Asia Keiki Aloha, c/o The Cole Academy, 36 Merchant Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Call 531-4500 for more information.
Murphy's Bar and Grill on Merchant Street also will contribute to South Asia Keiki Aloha by donating half of today's lunch sales to the effort.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to beware of fake tsunami "charities" run by con artists trying to cash in on Sunday's disaster.
Many of these scammers resort to Internet appeals and phone solicitations.
While true relief organizations give full information about the group's finances and programs and will outline where exactly the donations will go, the fake groups will be more vague in details.
• Ask questions of the charity, and check www.guidestar.org for information provided by certain charities to the IRS. Find out how the charity plans to use your money. • Make sure the charity site uses encryption. The letters https://, rather than http://, should precede the page's URL, and/or there should be an unbroken key or padlock symbol in the corner of the Web browser. • Try to give directly to the charity. • Look for contact information, which reputable charities will provide. • Request regular information from the charity on its Web site or in e-mail updates. For detailed reports on charitable organizations or for assistance with charitable giving, visit www.hawaii.bbb.org/.
Drop-off donations at any First Hawaiian Bank branch or at the East-West Center reception desk, 1601 East West Road.
Indra and Gayatri Vithanage, of Sri Lanka, examine goods donated to tsunami victims. Indra's husband is vice president of Oceanit engineering, where the goods are being stored.
American Red Cross, Hawai'i Chapter
Sri Lanka relief drive
Whale Watching Fund-raiser
South Asia Keiki Aloha fund-drive
Donation warning
What to look for
