Earth Quake relief tents in Pakistan |
01/27/2006 - Edmonton, Canada: A huge 'thank-you' was in order today when SOS Children's Villages Canada National Director Boyd McBride met with organizers of a fundraiser which raised more that $91,000 CD for emergency relief to victims of the devastating quake which hit the Kashmir region in October, 2005.
The event, which took place on November 7, 2005 in Edmonton, was planned by the India Pakistan Relief Committee which included members of the Council of India Societies, the Pakistan Canada Association and the Pakistani Canadian Society of Alberta.
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein with the India Pakistan Earthquake Relief Committee |
The Dinner and Auction attracted a large number of donors and VIPs including Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, who served as MC for the evening, and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein. In his speech to the assembly, the Premier gave the overwhelming numbers of deaths and victims a provincial context.
He commented that the casualty total would be similar to losing the entire city of Red Deer, while the number of people still at risk equaled the population of Medicine Hat. "As hard as it is to imagine losing two cities in a single day, the most staggering statistic is the number of people left homeless due to the earthquake," he added. "Some three million people in India and Pakistan lost their homes. Three million is also the population of the entire province of Alberta," he said.
Concerned volunteers and supporters of SOS Children’s Villages in the Toronto area also responded to the urgent need.
On December 3, 2005, they raised over $13,000 with the Canadian Premiere of the 2005 Oscar-nominated documentary "God Sleeps in Rwanda" which was screened at the Isabel Bader Theatre. Co-directed by Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman, the film is a poignant story of loss and redemption which captures the spirit of five courageous Rwandan women as they rebuild their lives.
The event drew a generous and star-studded crowd which included Stacy Sherman, film director Billy Ray and Oscar-Winner Chris Cooper and actor Ryan Philllipe, who were both in town to shoot Ray’s newest production "Breach". Commenting on the hard work of organizers and the generosity of Canadians, Mr. McBride described the crushing odds that face relief workers. "Funds raised by these committed individuals are urgently needed in India and Pakistan.
Now four months after the disaster, conditions in the region have worsened due to heavy snowfall, rain and resulting landslides," he explained. "Massive landslides often block the main roads to the quake-hit areas in India and Pakistan and it is often difficult to airlift aid because of fog.
In the cold temperatures, many children in the region are suffering from pneumonia and bronchitis, and the lack of hygienic facilities has resulted in mounting cases of gastroenteritis," he reported.
Dawn Deme, the film’s producer, singled out both Laura and Sam as exceptional young people. "The World Class series features kids from all over the province, from every kind of economic and cultural background, ordinary kids, not super heroes, who simply want to change the planet for the better," she said. "Here are a bunch of normal young people, doing extraordinary things, going out and helping, learning, and facing really tough situations far away from home. These are dramatic difficult situations and our series captures many of the important moments," she continued.