Vitamin charity calls for donations for tsunami victims
vitamin donations to help victims of the recent Southeast Asian
earthquake and tsunamis.
The charity said it is working with a consortium of companies in the natural products and pharmaceutical industries to help bring in emergency supplies to the region in a bid to prevent starvation and lessen the likelihood of epidemics and disease.
"We're now talking with medical personnel who are asking for liquid children's multiple vitamins and children's chewable multis, to help the children who were affected by this disaster," said Howard B. Schiffer, Vitamin Angel Alliance president, in a statement last week.
"This morning we learned that Fed Ex has offered to donate a plane and logistics to Direct Relief, so transportation is not an issue. We just have to gather the vitamin supplements and prepare them for shipment," he said last Monday.
Since then US businesses have contributed record sums of money to the disaster, with food multinationals among those making large donations. Coca-Cola is reported to be donating $10 million while Procter & Gamble is shipping 200,000 water-purifying kits to Sri Lanka.
In Europe food ingredients giant Danisco will provide DKK 500,000 ($90,600)to the tsunami victims while BASF is giving €1 million ($1.35m) in immediate aid and plans to match the amount donated by employees up to January 31.
Business donations for the disaster could eventually surpass the $450 million given to 9/11 charities, Curt Weeden, president of the Contributions Academy consulting firm told a USA Today report. He predicts that business donations may reach $750 million in cash and products.
Last year Vitamin Angels donated 16.2 million supplements to people in need in 45 countries around the world.
