Posted on: Saturday, January 8, 2005

How to contribute

Advertiser Staff

American Red Cross

Mail checks payable to the American Red Cross International Response Fund to 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816.

Contributions by credit card may be made by calling the Red Cross on O'ahu at 734-2101 or the national Red Cross at (800) Help-Now (435-7669) or www.redcross.org.

Salvation Army

Mail checks payable to Salvation Army to P.O. Box 620, Honolulu,

HI 96809. Write "South Asia Disaster Fund" in the memo section.

East-West Center Tsunami Relief Fund

Drop off donations at any First Hawaiian Bank branch or at the

East-West Center reception desk, 1601 East West Road. Online donations may be made at www.eastwestcenter.org.

UNICEF

Checks can be mailed or dropped off for UNICEF relief efforts c/o The Cole Academy, 36 Merchant St., Honolulu, HI 96813. Make checks payable 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.

Foodland

Foodland and Sack N Save stores statewide will accept donations at checkout. Donations will be given to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Customers are invited to donate any amount up to $249 at any Foodland or Sack N Save checkout. The amount and "Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort" will appear on the customer's receipt. Call 732-0791.

FUND-RAISING EVENTS

TODAY

Tango Hawai'i will host an all-ages, smoke-free dance night at the Atherton YMCA, 1810 University Ave., from 6 to 10 p.m. All proceeds donated to tsunami relief. Salsa and tango lessons, dance music on two floors, potluck, non-alcoholic bar, prizes.

TOMORROW

A gala Sunday brunch to benefit tsunami victims will be held at the Honolulu Penthouse atop Century Center, 1750 Kalakaua Ave. Seating times 10:30 a.m. and noon. There is a $75 donation, and an auction will be held to raise additional money. Bring an item and it will be auctioned the same day. Call Jeff Wong at 478-2389 for reservations. Sponsored by IN Magazine, Pharmanex, JTY International and Upscale Concepts LLC.

Live bands will play at a fund-raiser at Pipeline Cafe from 4 to 11 p.m. Proceeds to the East-West Center Tsunami Relief Fund. Call 944-7111 for information.

MONDAY

Top island chefs and award-winning entertainers will be featured at a fund-raiser for tsunami victims at Aloha Tower Marketplace at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds to Hawai'i chapter of the American Red Cross. The cost is $60 per person. Participating restaurants include Chai's Island Bistro, Alan Wong's, Roy's Restaurant, Diamond Head Grill, The Bistro at Century Center, Hy's Steak House, Mariposa, Le Bistro, Keo's Singha Thai Cuisine, Donato's, Side Street Inn, Sansei Restaurant, and many others. Entertainers include Henry Kapono, The Brothers Cazimero, Olomana's Jerry Santos and others. Call Michael Harris at 381-8483 or Chai Chaowasaree at 585-0011 for information.

FRIDAY

North Shore Catamaran Charters will have a sunset whale-watch cruise out of Hale'iwa Harbor at 3:30 p.m., with all proceeds benefiting tsunami victims. A minimum $25 donation is required, but a larger donation is welcome. The regular kama'aina rate for the cruise is $50. Seating is limited. For reservations, call Capt. Ray Beatty at 638-8279.

NEXT SATURDAY

Interfaith cultural program and fund-raiser, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Harris United Methodist Church, 20 S. Vineyard Blvd. Dances, song and prayers from South Asia, Hawai'i, Micronesia and elsewhere. Make checks payable to "Milun Seva Fund." Sponsored by Milun (Association for Promoting South Asian Culture) and Harris United Methodist Church in association with Nu'uanu Valley churches, Open Table and All Believers Network. Call Saleem Ahmed of Milun at 371-9360 or the Rev. Gary Barbaree of Harris church at 536-9602 for information.

DONATION WARNING

The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to beware of fake tsunami "charities" run by con artists trying to cash in on the disaster. Many scammers use Internet appeals or 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.

Here are some tips on what to look for:

• Ask questions of the charity, and check www.guidestar.org for information provided by certain charities to the IRS.

• 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/.