INFO FROM THE SL PACIFIC CRISIS FUNDRAISER, MORE TO FOLLOW:
An emergency fundraising effort for the victims of the crisis in the Pacific that hit on the 10th/11th of march is being set up.
SL is an international community, with a strong base in Japan specifically. This disaster is worldwide and affects us all, as a community SL has risen up time and time again to help out in times of distress, including very recently.
In september 2010 11,000 us dollars was raised for the pakistan flood crisis relief fund (UNICEF) at an sl event. An event organised in four days. This is an example of what our community can do, and we are attempting to prepare for a similar, simple but effective, event.
We are calling for anyone who wishes to help with this fundraiser. We will be providing vendors that donate 100% of sales to a charity account (Charity Shelter) for people to place in their stores and at an event location . The products in these vendors don't have to be new, but the more new and exclusive items available the more money we will raise, so even a variation of an existing product is appreciated.
We welcome any and all participation and interest in this event - if you'd like to participate as a designer please go to -
http://www.tinyurl.com/pacificfund
We require all brands involved to have one product sold at 100% to the charity, however if more than one item is available the others can be at 100% or 50%.
Please note that 100% of all money raised will go to the charity UNICEF. Land was donated by Glam Affair and all volunteers are giving their time without charge.
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Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake
TOKYO – A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes on record slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away ships, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control.
Hours later, the tsunami hit Hawaii but did not cause major damage. Warnings blanketed the Pacific, putting areas on alert as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West coast. In northeastern Japan, the area around a nuclear power plant was evacuated after the reactor's cooling system failed.
Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 627 people were injured.
The magnitude-8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami and was followed for hours by more than 50 aftershocks, many of them of more than magnitude 6.0.
Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter. A large section of Kesennuma, a town of 70,000 people in Miyagi, burned furiously into the night with no apparent hope of being extinguished, public broadcaster NHK said.
"The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.
The quake was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that struck New Zealand late last month, devastating the city of Christchurch.
((rest of the story on
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110311/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake))
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Tsunami waves hit Ore. coast after sweeping Hawaii
HONOLULU – Tsunami waves swamped Hawaii beaches and brushed the U.S. western coast Friday but didn't immediately cause major damage after devastating Japan and sparking evacuations throughout the Pacific.
Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian islands hit by the tsunami, which was caused by an earthquake in Japan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Water rushed ashore in Honolulu, covering the beach in Waikiki and surging over a break wall in the world-famous resort but stopping short of the area's high-rise hotels.
Waves about 7 feet high were recorded on Maui, and 3 feet in Oahu and Kauai. Officials warned that the waves would continue and could become larger, and a scientist at the tsunami warning center said there was likely some damage to mooring facilities and piers.
(more on this article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110311/ap_on_re_us/us_pacific_tsunami))
