Red Cross organizing relief effort

WAVE OF DESTRUCTION   Donations Pile In From Companies, Individuals   A WALL STREET JOURNAL NEWS ROUNDUP December 30, 2004   Companies and individuals from around the world have joined the rush to aid victims of the tsunami disaster, donating cash, medicine and vital supplies.   Airlines are providing free travel for relief workers, and Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. have sent thousands of cases of bottled water.   Among Asian companies that do business in the region, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. said it plans to donate $1 million, and about 10,000 Samsung employees in affected areas will volunteer for relief efforts.   Japan's Toyota Motor Corp., which has six factories in Southeast Asia and is the largest vehicle-maker in Indonesia and Thailand, pledged about $190,000. Another Japanese concern,Suzuki MotorCorp., the largest car maker in India, says it will contribute nearly $400,000 in cash and relief supplies.   Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. replaced much of its home page with a plea for donations to the American Red Cross, which as of last night had attracted more than 54,000 individual donations totaling more than $3.4 million.   The American Red Cross had raised $18 million as of midday yesterday while CARE USA, based in Atlanta, has raised more than $3.5 million.   "This is the most significant donor response since September 11, which obviously dwarfed anything that anyone had ever seen before for spontaneous charitable giving," said Curt Welling, chief executive of AmeriCares Foundation, a relief organization in Stamford, Conn.   The group expected to raise $2 million through yesterday and expects to receive at least $10 million of corporate product donations, including medical supplies.       http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110424799797311011,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us             http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/home.html/103-3032119-7354212             Red Cross organizing relief effort   By DANIEL RICE   , Staff Writer   The devastation caused by Sunday's tsunami in South Asia has caused many Fairbanksans to come forward asking how they can contribute to relief efforts, according to a local Red Cross representative. Workers at the Fairbanks Chapter of the American Red Cross have been fielding calls from people inquiring about making a donation to the 12 countries affected by the disaster that killed more than 60,000 with thousands still missing, said Greg Williams, head of the agency's disaster-relief programs for Fairbanks and the state. The local Red Cross chapter is working with the state and national umbrella organizations to help collect donations for those hit by the tsunami. Williams said the agency is collecting monetary donations rather than items. Trying to organize donated items and transport them to the affected areas is an ineffective strategy, whereas a monetary contribution allows relief organizers to make the best use of resources.   "People want to donate items often, but it's just not economically feasible," he said. The Red Cross offers several ways to make donations, including calling (800) HELP-NOW or visiting www.redcross.org on the Internet. Multiple methods of making a payment can be arranged through those venues. Williams said Fairbanks area residents can also deliver a donation to the chapter's office at 626 Secnd St., Suite 102, or call the chapter at 456-5937 for more information. Also, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and Red Cross officials have scheduled a press conference in Anchorage today to announce a special account and fund-raising goal for the organization. Donations need to be designated to the Red Cross' International Response Fund to be part of the South Asia relief effort. In addition to the Red Cross, multiple other humanitarian and charity organizations are collecting donations for the region. Many of the groups provide a method for making an online donation. The United States Agency for International Development has provided a comprehensive list of organizations involved and their contact information at www.usaid.gov. While inquiries about donations have been common at the Fairbanks Red Cross chapter, workers there have also helped local people contact relatives vacationing or living in the region hit by the tsunami to verify their safety. As of Tuesday, three separate individuals or groups had approached the Fairbanks chapter asking for help in locating loved ones. "It's been all good news so far," Williams said, explaining that each group learned that the people they were looking for were OK. The Fairbanks office of U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, also worked with the U.S. Department of State to help a local resident locate someone in Thailand, said Royce Chapman, director of the office. "It kind of surprised me in how many there were," he said of local people who knew someone in the region. Reporter Daniel Rice can be reached at drice@newsminer.com or 459-7503.           http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~2623983,00.html                             http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110424799797311011,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us