UW-Madison contributes to tsunami relief efforts

With students back on campus and settling into the semester, the community is organizing fund-raisers and events for relief efforts following the tsunami that devastated south Asia in December.

Last week, leaders of 40 student organization met at the Red Gym to discuss their plans for a collaborative fund-raising effort for the upcoming semester. The groups represented included the Indian Graduate Students Association, the Malaysian Student Association and the Thai Undergraduate Association.

Pap Sarr, director of International Services, who chaired the meeting, says, “Plans are developing for an informational event, which could include lectures and cultural presentations about the affected countries. The group also is exploring the possibility of a larger entertainment event that would attempt to draw in a broad segment of the campus community.”

Because Asian tsunami victims will continue to require aid, the group will take the next few weeks to organize its plans instead of rushing to produce events, Sarr says. The next meeting of the planning group will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, in Mezzanine A/B of the Red Gym.

To support and promote campus efforts, the university has created a Web site to collect information about resources and upcoming events.

Several events are ongoing, including:

• Tsunami Fund Raising at University Bookstore. WISPIRG volunteers will be collecting donations for British relief group Oxfam at University Bookstore through Friday, Jan. 28. Donations will be designated for water tanks for villages affected by the tsunami. For information, call 251-5354 or e-mail ldreier@wispirg.org.
• Vet Med Fund-raising Drive. Organized by Christian Veterinary Mission Fellowship, the fund raising will take place from noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27, in the second-floor lounge of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Proceeds will go to the Indonesian Red Cross and Christian Veterinary Mission For information, call 358-7150, or e-mail rlmentink@wisc.edu.
• “Infectious Diseases of Our Time, Including Post-tsunami.” Medical School professor Dennis Maki will speak about the threat of infectious disease outbreaks. The free event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St. For more information, call 263-1692 or e-mail bsanford@wisconsinacademy.org.