Thousands Donate To Funds

he University will match “thousands of contributions” after ending Friday a nearly three-week long pledge to duplicate up to $100 of personal donations by Harvard affiliates.

The exact amount of money raised through the University’s matching program will not be known until later this week, according to Senior Director of Community Relations Mary Power, as donations are still being added up from online accounts and letters.

“We have had a very strong response with thousands of contributions that are still being tabulated,” Powers wrote in an e-mail.

“There was a surge at the outset in the first few days and a steady stream of contributions since then,” Power added.

Donations were made to any of 26 charities listed on the donation website and will continue to be accepted by Community Gifts Through Harvard.

Nearly a month after the tsunami wrecked the coasts of South and Southeast Asia, students are continuing relief efforts, including planning for a “matching” initiative of their own.

Nine student groups collaborated to create the Harvard College Tsunami Relief Effort (HCTRE), an organization to centralize on-campus tsunami relief efforts with its own bank account where funds are consolidated.

HCTRE has scheduled a charity concert and a benefit dinner, set for February and March, respectively. The Feb. 19 charity concert, entitled “Changing the Tide: Harvard Responds to the Tsunami Disaster,” will feature students—qualified through an audition—in four-minute performances.

“It’s not just a fund raiser; it’s supposed to be an opportunity for students to grieve together and help each other move on,” said Rashmi Singh ’05, student organizer of HCTRE.

Harvard Habitat for Humanity will likely vote to match funds up to $10,000 raised from ticket sales. “The plan is to have some of the money go back to Habitat International with the goal of having enough to build one house in each of the affected countries,” said Anthony A. Onah ’05, co-director of Harvard Habitat for Humanity. He added that he thought the vote would pass.

Singh said she hopes to attract corporate sponsors and a special guest for the show, helping the event raise their goal of $100,000.

The benefit dinner, tentatively scheduled for March 12, is still in the preliminary planning stages. Students said they hope to attract a dignitary to speak at the dinner,

These plans come as other fund raisers are set to wrap up this month.

The red box donation effort, which ends tomorrow, has garnered between $1,000 and $1,500, according to South Asia Association (SAA) Co-President Prital S. Kadakia ’06. During this fund raiser, SAA placed red donation boxes in dining halls and some local restaurants. Proceeds will be donated to UNICEF.

“Our goal was to reach $5,000,” said Kadaki, who hopes for a last-minute surge in donations. Along with other fund raisers, including Jan. 12’s memorial service, Kadaki said they have raised about $3,600.

Kadaki said the SAA has discussed donating their annual spring concert profits to tsunami relief, as well as organizing a club night in Boston involving other colleges which would benefit the relief effort.

“People have still been working very hard, it’s just been more behind the scenes,” said Simi Bhat ’08, a freshman representative on the board of Dharma, a Hindu student group helping with efforts under HCTRE.

“Reading period and exams are a very stressful time and now if anything I feel that the student support has increased,” Singh said.

The Undergraduate Council will hold a meeting for interested students and student groups to further facilitate communication on tsunami relief on Feb. 3.

—Staff writer Liz C. Goodwin can be reached at goodwin@fas.harvard.edu.