MORE ON RELIEF AND DONATIONS

12/30 UPDATE

Hello to all. As things continue to evolve and new information and stories become available, we want to keep you informed of our latest findings. First, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has expressed their concern for the folks in Indonesia and the surrounding islands of the Indian Ocean. We have received MANY emails and calls from those interested in donating funds toward the relief of those affected by the quake and subsequent tsunami. We thought it might be important to create a separate page dedicated to our fundraising efforts and how those funds are being used.

We have a couple of new options for making donations. You can now make donations directly to Indonesian Development of Education and Permaculture" (IDEP) at www.idepfoundation.org (more on them in our 12/31 update). Also, you can still send donations to Scuzz’s Dad Hal in Australia and our U.S. Rep/Partner Danny Siudara. They are serving as regional collection centers to pool the funds and send them to Padang.

If you send a donation via check or money order to Danny or Hal, please make them out Danny or Hal at the following addresses.

Any American donations be sent ASAP to:

Danny Siudara
3302 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94118 USA

Any Australian donations sent ASAP to:

Hal Scurrah
77 Koornalla Cres
Mt. Eliza, Victoria 3930 Australia

Well concealed cash will also be accepted, but we do not recommend sending cash in the mail.

Lastly, for donations that need to be tax deductible we recommend that you make your donations through the Clean Ocean Foundation, www.cleanocean.org. Please make sure to note that your donation is for the Sumatran Sufariis Relief Effort and include your address info in order to receive you receipt and DVD when AK gets back.
There are a few ways of donating through Clean Ocean. The first is an electronic bank transfer. Here are Clean Ocean’s bank details:

Account Name: Clean Ocean Fund
BSB: 083780
Account: 533966529

You can also make a donation via check. Their address for check donations is:

Clean Ocean Foundation
PO Box 810
Mornington VIC 3931 Australia

Dawn Forrest is our point person at the Clean Ocean Foundation, and when you make a donation you can forward your details (name, address and the amount of the donation) by the following methods:

Email to: dawn@cleanocean.org
Mail to: Dawn Forrest, Clean Ocean Foundation, PO Box 810, Mornington VIC 3931 Australia
Fax to: Dawn Forrest, Clean Ocean Foundation, +61 3 5973 6799
Phone: Dawn Forrest, Clean Ocean Foundation +61 3 5973 6788

Dawn with then post a Tax Deductible Receipt out for your taxation purposes. We’ve worked with the Clean Ocean Foundation for quite some time. Be sure to check their site, www.cleanocean.org.

We’re not waiting for donations to get started on our relief effort, however. We are currently buying soap, shampoo, plates, cups, candles, matches, sleeping mats, rope, silverware, flashlights, batteries, sarongs, towels, medicines, water, containers, material, cloths, food, and much more. The amount of villages that have been destroyed is vast, and larger aid organizations have not focused on these areas in because they are in such remote locations. The Padang Harbor Master has informed us that we should be able to leave tonight to begin providing relief and aid to these areas. We are coordinating our efforts with Bruce Raymond, Martin Daly, and the folks of the Indies Trader/Quiksilver travel, who’ve already organized thousands of dollars in donations. They’ve informed us that they will have their water maker going full time and be giving lots of fresh drinking water to all. This is HUGE because many of the wells which stored fresh water have been polluted from the tidal waves, and disease such as cholera and typhoid thrive in a salt-water environment.

It's been a very difficult time for all, but there have been some amazing survival stories that have kept us motivated. A baby was found on a roof two and a half days after the tsunami. The baby hadn't eaten or drank anything in that time, but had been washed up there and survived. Possibly the most amazing story we've heard is about a family that was washed thru with the wave in Aceh. They had nothing to hold onto and were in trouble. They eventually saw a python the size of a telephone pole also being washed along with the surge, and they clung onto it until it was washed into shallow water and survived that way. It’s amazing and crazy, but true and inspirational.

Your kind words and support serve as inspiration as well. We are a pretty spiritual bunch here at Sumatran Surfariis, and we believe in the power of good vibes and karma, so keep it coming. We’ll do the best we can to be a positive force and help those who need it most in this difficult time.