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The Times Advocate, 2005-01-12, Page 10Crossroads 10 Wednesday, January 12, 2005 Exeter Times -Advocate Local response to tsunami relief fund is strong By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — The world has responded to those in need in south Asia after the region was devastat- ed by a tsunami and earthquake Dec. 26. Locally, people in the area have also responded generously and dug into their pocketbooks to make donations to the relief fund. Students at Biddulph Central School held a fundraisng event Friday afternoon to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross Asian Tsunami Relief Fund. Items were donated by the students and sold in the gym. Cake auctions and teacher raffles were also up for bid. A total of $2,134 was raised through purchases and family donation, which will be matched by the government. Since some baked goods were not sold, students were given the opportuni- ty to buy them during lunch Monday. Also, because more than $1,000 was raised they could purchase one - metre strips of duct tape to be used to secure a teacher to a wall later this week. Approximately $200 has been raised as of Monday through a dona- tion box set up at the South Huron municipal office. Council decided to receive donations at a Jan. 3 meeting after being approached by Heartland Community Credit Union, who provid- ed the office with a cash box and pamphlets. The public can drop by and make a donation dur- ing business hours, preferably by cheque rather than cash. A tax receipt is available. The credit union is another option for people who wish to donate to the cause. As of Monday almost $21,000 has gone into the tsunami relief account and the credit union will match another $5,000. It is not necessary to be a member of the credit union to make a donation. The fundraising cam- paign is expected to con- tinue until the end of the month, but may last longer if the response and need are still strong. At Hansen's Your Independent Grocer in Exeter, customers have been given the opportuni- ty to round up their gro- cery bill with 100 per cent of the money going to the Canadian Red Cross to help those in need. The fundraising cam- paign has been ongoing for over a week and Mike Hansen said customers had donated $3,000 as of Monday. He said a great deal of customers have been will- ing to donate and there has been outstanding support. Canada Revenue Services will accept chari- table donations made on or before Jan.11 to be claimed on the 2004 tax return. All donations made after that date will receive a tax receipt issued by the Canadian Red Cross for 2005. Those who have made donations can rest easy knowing their money is in the hands of the Red Cross. According to a press release, the organization has already shipped about 72 metric tonnes of relief supplies from Canada to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives. Delegates who have accompanied these shipments confirm these goods have been distrib- uted to those in need. As well, Canadian funds have been sent to support local and international Red Cross operations, and have procured enough water purification sachets to clean over 15 million litres of water for Sri Lankans. Currently, 11 trained and experienced Canadian disaster work- ers are working in the affected areas. Another 30 are on stand-by — nine of whom are expect- ed to be deployed in the next few days to support efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives. And while it is impor- tant to donate money to the victims, it is also a time when spiritual devotion can be a com- fort. In response to a per- ceived need in the com- munity, Caven Presbyterian Church in Exeter will hold a com- munity prayer service Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Carol Ann Keys said the service is designed to allow the community to come together in prayer for the victims, survivors and aid workers in south Asia. "It is what we feel we should be doing for the spirit," Keys said. "So many people have given so generously with their financial contributions and yet we know many people still fell sad and helpless. As Christians, we pray our concerns to a loving God, even when a disaster of this proportion can leave us feeling vul- nerable and outside of God's reach." The service is open to everyone. People in the area wish- ing to make a financial donation directly to the Canadian Red Cross may donate online, call 1-800- 418-1111 or contact the Stratford/Huron-Perth office. The 24-hour toll free line accepts Visa and MasterCard. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked "Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Relief" and mailed to Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ont., K2P 2P2. Online donations can be made by logging on to www. redcross. ca. There is no shortage of places to donate, both locally and at a national level, so anyone willing and able has no excuse to stall. Other organizations are also taking donations. Contributions can also be sent to Save the Children, www. savethechildren. ca; UNICEF Canada, 1-877- 955-3111 or www. unicef. ca; World Area students are among those who have respond- ed generously to the need in south Asia. Biddulph Central School held a fundraisng event Friday to raise money for the tsunami relief fund. They gathered in the gym in the afternoon where they could purchase items. Cake auctions and teacher raffles were also offered. Items were donated by students and teachers, who were invit- ed to shop at wiII.A total of $2,134 was raised through purchases and family donation.This fig- ure will be matched by the government and will go to the Canadian Red Cross Asian Tsunami Relief Fund. Since some baked goods were not sold, students were given the opportunity to buy them during lunch Monday.Above, Chris Ryan, Michael Carson, Mike Shaw and Colin Fralick sell items at their yard sale table for $6 to $10. On the left, Megan Hutchinson and Melissa McNaughton hold up some of the baked goods they were selling for 50 cents each. (photos/Mary Simmons) Vision, 1-800-268-5528 or www. worldvision. ca; Oxfam Canada, 1-800- 466-9326 or www.oxfam.ca; Canadian Catholic Organiztion for Development and Peace, 1-888-664-3387 or www.devp.org; CARE Canada, 1-800-267-5232 or www. care. ca and the Salvation Army, 1 -800 - SAL -ARMY (725-2769) or www. salvationarmy. ca.