Christmas appeal

(CNS): A call in the Cayman Islands to aid people in the Philippines struggling to recover from the devastating impact of tropical storm Ketsana three months ago raised CI$34,369. The cylone hit the region on Saturday 26 September, dumping 16 inches of rain in 12 hours. Fundraising for the Red Cross Philippines Disaster Relief Fund was a community-wide effort that included an October radio-thon, along with corporate donations and fundraising activities from various schools to benefit the more than half-million people left homeless by Typhoon Ketsana and subsequent disasters in the region. Many Cayman workers are from the Philippines and their families lost everything.

(CNS): A fund raising effort in the Cayman Islands that will dramatically improve the lives of children in villages in Vietnam – one bike at a time – by helping them get to school without a 3-hour trek there and back, has already produced an outpouring of generosity.  A volunteer at a village school found that some of the children have to walk several hours to get to school because there no bus and they cannot afford a bicycle.

(CNS): Cosima “Tiggi” Kohl, a student in 3C at Cayman Prep, has donated a tree to a local marine preservation charity through “Smile Africa!”, a project set up by the 7 year old together with her mother, Jane Wareham. The tree has been donated to raise funds for the protection of maritime life in the Cayman Islands using decorations hand made in Southern Africa. One of the most rewarding results of the decoration of the tree donated by Smile Africa! is that the purchase of the ornaments are donated to sponsor children in Africa. A total of ninety children will receive food and clothing through the US registered charity, Charity USA and the Child Health Site.

(CNS): This year’s National Trust Christmas cards, which depict the festive season Cayman style, are now available with all proceeds from the sale of the cards going towards Trust projects. Created by local artist Debbie Chase van der Bol, the cards show a catboat and an underwater scene in front of the “Eldemire House” in Cayman Brac. The old Caymanian home, which was donated to the National Trust in 2005, was damaged by Hurricane Paloma last year and is now in need of repair, according to a release from the Trust. The cards are available from the National Trust Visitor Centre at Dart Park, and Pure Art Gift Shop, both in South Sound; as well as at the Mission House in Bodden Town and local book shops.

(CNS): The National Council of Voluntary Organisations will host its 30th annual fundraiser on Cayman 27 (Cable Channel 12) on Saturday, 7 November, which will take place at the Prospect Playhouse and will be simulcast on Radio Cayman from 7pm to midnight. This is the largest fundraiser held by the Organisation each year, and money raised helps to maintain and operate one of Cayman’s longest running charities – the NCVO.

(CNS): One month after Tropical Storm Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in more than 40 years on Philippines capital Manila, more than 1.5 million are left struggling to live in flooded suburbs or emergency shelters and the situation remains desperate. Ketsana hit the centre of Luzon island 26 September, flooding Manila and some areas in neighbouring provinces. Tropical Storm Parma hit northern Luzon 3 October, ruining rice crops in the nation’s second-biggest rice-producing region and triggering landslides.An ongoing fundraising effort in the Cayman Islands to help those affected has so far raised over $23,500 to help victims of the devastation.

(CNS): With hundreds dead, many missing and more than 450,000 suddenly homeless in the Philippines following devastating floods caused by Typhoon Ketsana, local Cayman businesses have come together to raise money for the Red Cross Philippines Relief Fund. As the Filipino people look at how to survive the coming months, the country has appealed for foreign aid to deal with the disaster. More than a month's worth of rain fell on the capital, Manila in just 24 hours flooding 80% of the city, and the homes of nearly 1.9 million people were inundated by flood water over the weekend. (Watch the BBC video Flooded Philippines needs aid)