Rally to help quake victims (From Warrington Guardian)

Rally to help quake victims

PEOPLE across South Cheshire are showing some true Christmas spirit by digging deep to support those devastated by the Indian Ocean earthquake.

Cash has been pouring in from across the region to help provide life-saving supplies and expertise to the disaster zone.

The death toll was rising towards 100,000 yesterday as aid agencies and countries around the world stepped up their efforts to help survivors of the devastating tidal waves.

Worried relatives of many British tourists had this week still not heard from loved ones as the tsunami had destroyed most communication links.

Churches from across South Cheshire have been praying for the safe return of the holidaymakers and scores of people flocked to St Andrew and St John the Baptist Church in Crewe for a special service.

The vicar Rev Bill Baker said: "The main body of the congregation will obviously be coming in on Sunday and we have been issuing notices asking people if they would like to make a donation to the appeal fund.

"The collection will then be passed on to Christian Aid, which is the charity we use.

"People have been showing a great deal of concern and are genuinely very moved by what they have seen on their TV screens and from what people are saying who are returning from Indonesia.

"We tend to find that when there is a disaster on this kind of scale people are very generous and we are hoping to send a reasonable amount to help the aid efforts out there."

Crewe based Salvation Army officials are planning fund-raisers while many shops and pubs throughout the region have organised collection boxes.

Volunteers from the British Red Cross at Waterloo Road in Haslington have been busy raising money for tents, blankets and vital water purification tablets for the thousands left homeless by the tragedy.

Michael Yates, chairman of the International Rotary Club for South Cheshire, said that all of South Cheshire's 15 Rotary clubs are involved in the operation.

On Wednesday the UK government pledged £15m to help the first phase of the relief effort - making Britain the second largest donor after the US.