Grooby Donations for Asia Typhoons.

[GroobySteven]

Happy Holidays to all - whatever you're religious or social persuasion may be. Grooby usually does a Xmas appeal but the response last year was so weak I decided not to continue it. It looks like events yesterday (26th Dec) in Asia have shown us all, that no matter how little we can help...we can help.
Currently the news is reporting over 23,500 people dead in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand (Phuket where I was standing less than a week ago), they're expecting this amount to rise. These are some of the poorer countries in the world, which some of us may have visited in our
travels (almost all the Grooby photographers have at least been to Phuket). We have shot models in Thailand and Indonesia, many of which you've seen on ShemaleYum.com, Franks-Tgirlworld.com or Ladyboy-Ladyboy.com
Help is needed - so forgo a month on a Grooby site, skip your next lap dance or only get 2 bottles of Bollinger for New Year instead of 12 and send some money into the Red Cross. For every donation sent in, Grooby Productions will match (up to a maximum of $10,000 a site).
You can donate directly to International Federation of Red Cross at;
http://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp
or for check or money order payments;
http://www.ifrc.org/address/directory.asp
to your countries Red Cross. Alternatively, send checks, cash or money order payble to "SMY Web" with "Red Cross Appeal" written on back of check to;
Millennium TGA inc., PO Box 235885, Honolulu, Hawaii 96823-3516 USA. Please send your receipts from the Red Cross to the same address or email to; admin@grooby.com
Give what you can - however little must be of help to those regions.
We'll start the ball rolling with a $2000 pledge.
seanchai

[Chet_X]

I'm on board with that, Holmes

[LG]

Good job there seanchai. We're all sitting comfortably in our homes or offices while other people are dying halfway around the world.

It really was a tragic event- so many people dead, so many families displaced, so many homes and even villages wiped out. I heard on the news that the waves obliterated an orphanage, crushing the building and wiping out every boy and girl. Women, children and the elderly suffered most, in the tens of thousands throughout the region and even as far away as Africa. Locals and also tourists, who were spending Christmas in what seemed until a few days ago a paradise, were drowned. A little boy from the UK told the news of how his family had to climb a tree to survive whilst below the watched others being carried away by the waters.

We must all help these people any way we can. For the survivors Christmastime has not brought happiness. Hopefully with everyone's help, the Red Cross, the UN, all the world's nations and everyone of us the New Year will at least bring hope.

Happy holidays. Increase the peace.

[SidChromeAU]

The news we are getting here is worsening by the hour - at the moment, estimates of 50-100,000 dead (regionally) are being bandied about. Maybe 50,000 were killed by the tsunamis (not typhoons - incredibly, that would have been much less devastating), and now the race is on to get sufficient aid into the region to try to head off outbreaks of cholera, etc. I've given as much as I can afford, as have many of my compatriots (we're 'right next door' so to speak - I have Thai family), and I urge everyone here to please consider trying to help.
My commendations to Seanchai for once again demonstrating a social conscience - well done mate.
SC_AU
:(

[Ecstatic]

My hat's off to you, seanchai, for this noble and immediate effort. My wife and I are making donations to help (I wonder which is better, a larger donation to one organization like the International Red Cross, or smaller donations to several, like those I've listed below). My wife asked me if we could make a $100 donation and I told her about your generous offer to match funds and she was very impressed, also with your initial pledge. I will send you a note re: our contribution, and again, thank you for your response to this crisis. You da man.

Other ways to donate:

Aid to Southeast Asia, Inc.
Delivering humanitarian aid.

AmeriCares
Immediate relief for the emergency in Southeast Asia.

American Red Cross
International Response Fund

Architecture for Humanity
Helping to rebuild in the earthquake's aftermath.

CARE
Initiating assessment of the emergency needs of victims.

Catholic Relief Services
Emergency response support.

Direct Relief International
Sending medical material aid to earthquake victims.

Doctors Without Borders
Providing medical relief for victims of earthquakes.

Mercy Corps
Assisting families affected by the earthquake.

Oxfam America
Sending food and water to aid victims.

Save the Children
Help supply necessities to thousands of homeless children and families.

UNICEF
Delivering survival supplies to coastal areas.

[Ecstatic]

Here's what we decided to donate:

American National Red Cross - Tsunami Relief - $50.00

Architecture for Humanity - Tsunami Relief - $15.00

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC - Tsunami Relief - $20.00

OXFAM-AMERICA INC - Tsunami Relief - $15.00

Grand Total: $100.00

I figured Red Cross are the most immediate and high-profile responders and Doctors without Borders would be helpful for medical needs. Oxfam will provide immediate food and water relief, and looking ahead to the rebuilding aftermath, Architecture for Humanity to help with that effort. Incidentally, all of these contributions are being coordinated by Network for Good (https://www.networkforgood.org/), full info and links to various organizations at https://www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/earthquake/tsunami122604.aspx.


May we all start the New Year with good will to all.

[GroobySteven]

Thanks for all the postive responses - I think we're all seeing it becoming a lot worse than we first thought.
seanchai

[john69]

IM VERY SORRY FOR THAT, FOR ALL PEOPLE THE ALL COUNTRYS.

[El_hefe]

Nice call on the ICRC, I just shot them off $100, & the suggestion of Doctors Without Borders is great too, probably give them something soon also. Let me encourage any of the guys who can afford it to help out.
I usually go to Thailand, or somewhere nearby, every year. Went once to Phuket, just thinking of how many jobs there have been lost, how many businesses, most very modest, are gone for the forseeable future. The Thais are such nice, hardworking people, it really is awful.
Count your blessings.

[LG]

It's getting worse continually...80 000 dead and rising, five million homeless according to some reports. The medicines and supplies, according to the BBC are too slow to arrive to the areas where they are needed most. Many could die from diseases spread by the stagnant waters and rotting corpses.

I've given the equivalent of about $ 120 in my currency to Doctors of the World which, considering how slow work is seemed as much as I could afford. It is a small amount, but every little helps But more help and donations will continue to be needed for medicines and restructuring, I intend to donate more when I can and urge everyone to do so- give what you can afford to give, even if it's only a little.

Increase the peace.

[TeeLover]

I intend to make a donation but has to be after the 1st. I've always wanted to go to (Phuket) but have a few friends that do.

Today's count is up to 115,000 and I don't think it's even halfway yet. I can see 1/4 mil the way they describe some of the areas that they haven't been able to even get close to yet.

[NYCe]

I made my personal donation and we'll make a site donation after the 1st.

I spoke to Jasmin (Thai girl from NYC), she didn't lose anyone so thats a brief beam of light in a very dark time.

The scope of this disaster is far reaching. One of my college mates had his new bride washed away (2 days after their honeymoon) and is still looking for her. He's keeping the faith but he knows to assume the worst.

I don't know what breaks my heart more, the tragic loss of life or the people bring politics into the response of this.

[Ecstatic]

NYCe, I talked with Jasmin's friend, Venus, and her family is all safe, too, as they live up country and not in the resort area. But she told me that it was extremely fortunate that the tsunami struck when it did, three hours before the beaches get busy. If the beaches had been as crowded as they normally are later in the day, the loss of life would have been 10x worse.

Glad to hear the site will be making a contribution. I'll probably be making another, likely to Architecture for Humanity for the rebuilding effort (they are channeling 100% of tsunami funds to the relief project, very committed; Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders also seem similiarly committed).

Sorry to hear about your college mate. That is almost impossibly hard to grasp, two days after their honeymoon. Kind of puts my problems in perspective, don't you know.

I don't want to get into politics, but I do hope the US will step up its committment significantly. I'd rather see my tax dollars going to this cause than to Iraq. Sweden has committed over $8 per capita, Britain over $1.50 per capita, and the US only 12 cents thus far. But I'm sure we'll see an increase as the days progress.

Happy New Year to all!

[TeeLover]

Ecstatic - I agree with you there about the US contributions. They say that of all the countries in the "Organization for Econ Development" that was created in 1960, the US is the cheapest per GNP. I think Norway was the best. At over 5 billion per month the US contribution doesn't even equal what we spend on Iraq in a 6 hour period. About the same amount of time it took the waves to hit the African coastline...

Glad to hear the US added another zero to the total in the latest news.

NYCe - what a tragic event for your old college mate. My sympathies. Like Ecstatic said - that really can put things in perspective for us; as does the entire disaster.