Tsunami donations still rolling in

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Contributions to south Asia tsunami relief funds continue to pour in, with Hawai'i residents so far donating about $385,000 to the American Red Cross alone.

Coralie Chun Matayoshi, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross' Hawai'i State Chapter, said the $385,000 is the most raised locally for one disaster since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Matayoshi said about $456,000 was raised in a little less than a week following the terrorist attacks.

Anyone wishing to contribute to tsunami relief should make a check payable to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816. Contributions also may be made by contacting the national Red Cross at (800) Help-Now (435-7669) or at www.redcross.org.

On Sunday, more than $50,000 was raised at an East-West Center fund-raising event. A center spokeswoman said another $10,000 had been collected at the center last week, and money also is being collected online and at First Hawaiian Bank branches.

The money raised by the East-West Center will be sent to nonprofit organizations involved with tsunami relief work, the spokeswoman said.

The Salvation Army also is accepting monetary donations. Checks should be written to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 620, Honolulu, HI 96809. Write "South Asia Disaster Fund" in the memo section.

The Salvation Army and other agencies are asking that only money be sent to help the tsunami victims.

"All the relief agencies keep stressing do not send any material or in-kind donations," said Daniel de Castro, Salvation Army spokesman. "If it's a monetary donation they can actually translate that readily into whatever is needed. At this point there is a lot of assessment going on, so they can actually just use the monetary donations and purchase exactly what is required in those areas."

Several businesses and other charities are holding fund-raisers for disaster relief.

The Cole Academy, a downtown Honolulu child-care facility and preschool, managed to make its goal of raising $20,000 in two days. The facility met its goal for the South Asia Keiki Aloha fund drive before lunch Friday, with pledges coming from across the country as well as from across the state.

Murphy's Bar & Grill, a neighbor of the Merchant Street preschool, enlisted the help of its patrons in contributing $5,800 toward the effort, said Cole Academy director Emily Awaya Leong.

Local schools, Hawai'i businesses and individuals also contributed. Several thousand dollars in pledges from Cole Academy employees and associates will be matched by the school, Awaya Leong said.

Funds raised are being sent to UNICEF. Awaya Leong said the Cole Academy will continue to accept and forward donations.

Checks can be mailed or dropped off at South Asia Keiki Aloha, c/o The Cole Academy, 36 Merchant Street, Honolulu, HI 96813. Checks must be made out to "U.S. Fund for UNICEF." Write "South Asia Keiki Aloha" in the memo area of the check.

Call 531-4500 for information on electronic payment options.

The Honolulu Marathon Association has donated eight truckloads of supplies to help relief efforts in Sri Lanka.

Marathon officials delivered the donated goods to the engineering company Oceanit, whose vice president, Dayan Vithanage, is helping organize a relief drive.

Among the items the association donated are 2,600 T-shirts, 288 bottles of water, 20 1-gallon water jugs, 360 cans of soft drinks, 12,000 cups, 500 55-gallon trash bags, 400 rolls of toilet paper, 500 pairs of surgical gloves, and 72 large bath towels, as well as T-shirt bags, caps, bed sheets, stationery, shipping boxes and more clothing.

The Better Business Bureau is cautioning residents to beware of bogus fund-raisers and charities. Many scammers use the Internet or make telephone solicitations.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.