If there are any comments or questions, or you would like to help out, feel free to contact me.
For the tech savvy: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143489562383138
The biggest help everyone can do, is to please get the word out. We won't turn anyone away, even if it's a newer car.
Any donations will be welcome.
There will still be trophies this year, too. In the light of collecting more proceeds for the Canadian Red Cross, there won't be a trophy for each marque/manufacturer - think Best Car, Best Bike, Best Truck...
Any donations for door prizes will be welcome to and will be available to anyone entering a car - let's make that $20 entry worth even more!
I still need to contact the Canadian Red Cross directly, to find out more about donating.
I will be working on a letter for anyone wanting to canvas companies for donations of door prizes or monetary sums. I'd like to see some more manufacturer support, but don't we all.
Cheers!
Japan Earthquake – Asia Pacific Tsunami
Your help is urgently needed
March 2011
On Friday March 11, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck japan killing over 6,400 people and injuring over 2,500. The death toll for this disaster now surpasses the death toll after the Kobe earthquake twenty years ago making this Japan’s worst disaster in recent memory.
The World Bank is now estimating this disaster has caused between $15 – 35 Billion in damage.
In addition, the earthquake has caused instability at nuclear power plants – the worst currently being the Fukushima plant and response authorities are evacuating the 20 kilometre exclusion zone around the plant.
This disaster is worse than anything that could have been expected or prepared for and emergency personnel are struggling to meet the overwheling humanitarian needs on the ground.
Reports from the ground indicate the most urgent priorities include search and rescue, emergency medical assistance, psychosocial support and basic necessities.
The scale of this disaster is enormous and once immediate needs are met it will take years to help people rebuild their homes, lives and communities.
Red Cross Response
The Red Cross response to this disaster was immediate. The Japanese Red Cross has an official role as part of the National Disaster Response Plan in Japan. Their role and area of expertise in disaster response focuses on supporting evacuations, emergency health and distribution of relief supplies.
The Japanese Red Cross has a strong disaster response capacity in country consisting of over 60,000 staff members and 2 million registered volunteers. From this pool the Red Cross has mobilized 82 emergency teams (consisting of over 400 health and disaster response personnel) are currently on the ground providing emergency medical assistance, assisting in evacuations and distributing urgently needed supplies including over 30,000 blankets.
International Red Cross has mobilized to support response efforts in affected communities sending in two trained emergency response experts. Additional emergency personnel and supplies (including 20,000 tents) are on standby for rapid deployment if needed.
The Canadian Red Cross is working closely with the Japanese Red Cross to support response efforts in country and has already sent $5 Million in Canadian donations to support their immediate operations.
The Canadian Red Cross has deployed a disaster response expert to Japan to participate in a high level advisory committee to assist the Japanese Red Cross in creating a longer term recovery plan.
At this time, the Japanese Red Cross has indicated their greatest need is financial resources and has requested the support of the Canadian Red Cross in raising funds to support response operations underway in affected communities.
As the scale of this disaster unfolds additional stock, personnel and financial resources will be mobilized to support the Japanese Red Cross efforts to help people rebuild their lives.
"The compassion the Canadian people have demonstrated over the past week through their generous support to the Canadian Red Cross is incredibly uplifting at a time when we are dealing with a such an immense humanitarian tragedy. This financial support is very much needed and continues to be welcomed to help the hundreds of thousands of lives that will forever be changed by this disaster."
Satoshi Sugai
Director International Relief Division
Japanese Red Cross Society