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Asia Tsunami Relief: Kids ask to donate

by Drew Harris, 2005
http://www.adwords-hints.com/tsunami

Maybe it was the Live Aid DVD that led my kids to decide to donate part of their Christmas money to the Asia Tsunami Relief efforts.

After all, it was only a few hours after we started watching the DVD gift (Christmas night our time but Boxing Day in Asia) that word came down about the Tsunami disaster.

As we continued to watch the DVD the next day, the kids bombarded us with questions about the music and styles of the 1980's and of that magical show in July, 1985. We talked about Sir Bob Geldoff, Band AID, USA for Africa, Tears are Not Enough and all of the things that led to that amazing two-continent extravaganza.

As a former news reporter, I kept stealing away from the 10-hour show, to check in with the Tsunami updates online.

Our discussions about what prompted Live Aid continued and we started to talk about the growing Asian tragedy and the immense scope of the help that was needed.

At that point, the death toll was still hovering under 25,000.

Then 55,000.

We held a family meeting and my 10 and 11 year old daughters asked what they could do to help.

We talked about many things. My youngest suggested a lemonade stand, or a music festival, or just money like the newspaper suggested.

We decided on cash. And the kids volunteered to give some of the Christmas gift money they had received to the Canadian Red Cross.

In fact, the girls suggested cleaning out their savings accounts. They wanted to hold an event and call it Wave Aid.

I have never been more proud. I told the girls the amount of the donation was not what was important, but just the act of giving was what counted.

Between them, they donated $100 and we matched their contributions while smiling inside.

Our prayers are with all of the victims and their friends and families.

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