ARC collection reaches total of $13,000

The American Red Cross-NMI Chapter has already collected over $8,000 in monetary contributions for the tsunami victims in Asia and would continue to receive donations for the rest of the month.

Red Cross executive director John Hirsh disclosed yesterday that Red Cross staff would conduct a sweep this week, collecting donations from boxes placed at the Marianas Visitors Authority, Office of the Governor, and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce.

“A lot of the figures are still out, and we’re going to start collecting funds from the boxes we placed out there this week,” he said in a telephone interview.

Hirsh said the over $8,000 collected are primarily from members of the community—families and individuals, from children to elders—who have shown support for the relief efforts for victims of the tsunami disaster currently faced by many in Asia. That amount does not include the $5,000 recently pledged by Triple J.

He said several non-profit organizations have also donated checks, and also mentioned that the children of Betty Johnson took their Christmas money and donated it toward the relief efforts.

Other families have also trooped to the ARC-NMI Chapter headquarters to contribute.

“I felt the appeal should really be a grassroots one,” he said. “As much as we appreciate corporate donors, it’s nice to see people from all walks of life digging into their pockets and contributing to those who really need it.”

“People are saying ‘I am so blessed to be alive and for the things I have, so I’m going to give to those unfortunate [ones],” he added.

Hirsh said people in the Commonwealth can relate to the disaster because of the similar environments.

“Living on an island like we do, we drive down Beach Road and see water, so we can imagine how it would be like and we can really relate and enhance the appreciation of the disaster,” he said. “The event touched everybody’s lives, young and old, rich and poor. It’s a tragedy beyond anybody’s imagination, and seeing the community come out dollar-by-dollar shows the goodness of the hearts of the people in the Commonwealth.”

Hirsh said he is required to report contributions to the American Red Cross twice a week, and that the NMI Chapter sends out contributions once a week.

Reports from Associated Press indicate that the disaster has killed at least 150,627 and many are still considered missing.