Ma kicks off fund-raising for China’s quake relief

Chen said a growing number of companies, including the Ruentex Group, have donated money designated for the relief effort.

China Airlines has offered to send a charter plane without charge to transport the rescue teams and relief goods.

Business and industry leaders have pledged to pay the costs for more charter flights in the humanitarian mission, Chen said.

Gratitude

Su Juxiang, vice president of China’s Red Cross organization, said the Sichuan Airport was closed and the province’s outbound land traffic was also blocked as a result of the earthquake, according to Chen.

Su expressed deep gratitude to Taiwan for its concern and offer of help, but said Taiwan’s aid will have to wait until traffic in disaster areas has improved, Chen said.

The RCS in Taiwan has also formed a 60-member rescue team which is ready and on standby to start assisting in rescue operations at any time, Chen said.

Once traffic in Sichuan starts to show improvement, the relief supplies will be immediately delivered to disaster areas, Chen said.

Charity groups

Leading charity groups in Taiwan launched relief actions within 24 hours of China being hit by the devastating earthquake.

The Fo Guang Shan Buddhism Foundation donated NT$10 million in fund while starting to gather contributions of relief goods.

Although both the Buddhist Ling Jiou Mountain and the Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu Chi Foundation are still busy with their assistance work in Myanmar to help with victims of Cyclone Nargis that just devastated the southern part of the country, they have also mobilized supporters for the new task in Sichuan.

Her Rey-sheng of the Tzu Chi Foundation said the first group of the foundation’s volunteers from Guangdong, Beijing, Fujian and Shanghai will reach the disaster area in Sichuan Province today, bringing with them relief goods such as blankets.

“We are now arranging with China Airlines to send 30,000-42,000 blankets from Taiwan by tomorrow, as soon as room is made for the relief goods,” he added.

Ling Jiou Mountain spokeswoman Wu Wen-li noted that a special account has been set up to raise funds for the quake victims in Sichuan.

She noted that Dharma Master Hsin Tao, along with 100 monks from the Ling Jiou Mountain, held a prayer session that mourning for those suffering in the disaster areas.

Making donations

The Taiwan businesspeople organization based in Shanghai donated 5 million Chinese yuan for the relief campaign in China.

In Taiwan, Taichung and Nantou county governments in the central part of the island have launched fund-raising campaign because they want to help the quake victims after people in China gave them a helping hand in 1999.

All government employees will donate one day’s salary.

The Red Cross organization accepts financial contributions through postal remittance number 0504-6467.

Those making donations with credit cards may download the forms from the group’s Web Site www.redcross.org.tw and fax the signed form to (02) 2363-5154 or (02) 2363-9646.

The Web site also provides details of the fundraising drive.

World Vision Taiwan accepts donations at postal remittance number 1575-2467.

Dharma Drum Mountain Foundation’s relief fund account is postal remittance number 1957-7467.

A group of singers and entertainers will produce a special song to express love and support for the quake victims.

They urged people here to make contributions to the accounts opened by various charity organizations.

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