press releases
Earthquake Contributions From Americans To Philanthropic Organizations Top $130 Million; Compassion, Concern Prompt Response
03/09/2006
Islamabad - The hearts of Americans sank when they learned that a devastating earthquake had struck Pakistan on October 8. Touched by the tragedy half a world away, they did what Americans do at such times – they gave.
More than $130 million in contributions have been tracked to philanthropic organizations from U.S. individuals, corporations and foundations to Pakistan earthquake relief. The amount, calculated by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, represents total U.S. private contributions to the Asian earthquake relief and recovery efforts in Pakistan by U.S. individuals, corporations and foundations. This includes contributions of concerned individual Americans -- teachers, nurses, business executives – as well as U.S. corporations and foundations. It does not include amounts delivered or pledged by the U.S. government.
President Bush defined the warm relationship between the people of Pakistan and the U.S.: "I want the people of Pakistan to know that the American people care about them, that ours is a relationship that's much bigger than just the war on terror; that when our Chinooks flew supplies into the rural part of Pakistan, it wasn't out of a sense of just kind of pure diplomacy, it was out of a sense of care and concern about the individuals."
There are countless examples of Americans giving of their personal time and resources to assist Pakistanis after the October tragedy. For example, shortly after they learned of the earthquake, students at George Mason University in Washington, D.C. set up kiosks around the university and collected over $2,000 from fellow students for earthquake relief. Children from Nimitz Elementary School in Sunnyvale, California took on extra chores at home and raised $1,045 to buy tents. Marc O’Regan, a physician's assistant from California, took a month away from his practice to volunteer with a medical-relief team called Operation Heartbeat in Garhi Dupatta.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker added, "I am pleased and extremely proud of the generous response from my fellow Americans toward our good friends in Pakistan during this difficult time. The American response was quick and compassionate, reflecting the depth and sincerity of U.S.-Pakistan relations on a very personal level."