THE shocking events of the tsunami disaster have sparked a massive response from people in the Okehampton area, who have donated thousands of pounds to the appeal fund. Voluntary sector organisations have co-ordinated a day of street collection around the town this Saturday (January 8) and urge people to donate. Okehampton?s Rotary Club, Lions, Inner Wheel and Round Table and other organisations have agreed to join forces to raise money to provide special AquaBoxes to give those affected by the disaster access to clean drinking water. Each AquaBox costs £250 and can be used to purify polluted water, helping to prevent the spread of disease. Each box can provide a family of four with fresh water for six months. Judy Pride, who is helping to co-ordinate the fundraising, said she felt moved to help after seeing the scale of suffering following the disaster. She said the urgent need for clean drinking water led everyone to believe more could be achieved by working together. The ultimate goal was to raise enough money to be able to fund enough AquaBoxes to meet the monthly water needs of the population in a town the same size as Okehampton. Mayor of Okehampton Cllr Tony Leech has lent his support to the street collection and urged the people of the town to give generously. He said: ?As we welcome in a new year full of hope and promise, our thoughts are with the many thousands of people of Asia who lost their lives, those who were injured and their relatives. ?I hope you will be able to give just a little, because, as with all natural disasters, it could have easily been us who were affected. ?This planet can still be a hostile place and nature will not be tamed by us, even if we think we can tame it.? A team of volunteer collectors will be in various locations around the town, including outside supermarkets, from 10am on Saturday, and throughout the day. Okehampton College is also aiding the fundraising effort for the disaster relief appeal. The college is hoping to be able to contribute as much as between £4,000 and £5,000 towards the appeal before the end of the week. A section of the money raised by students who completed a sponsored walk last September will be donated to the appeal, as will the money raised by a student non-uniform day tomorrow (Friday). Principal Chris Powell said the college was also due to hold a PTFA fund-raising event at Ashbury Hotel on Saturday night, January 8, but it had been decided in the circumstances to donate all the proceeds from the event to the emergency appeal. Tickets for the buffet and disco cost £8 and needed to be booked at the college reception by 10am the day before the event. Okehampton firefighters will also be holding a car wash for the tsunami relief fund at the fire station this Saturday. The firefighters will be washing cars from 9am to 1pm for £2 per car or a donation. Cllr Mike Davies, chair of Christians Together in Okehampton, said several of the churches would be taking special offerings and his thoughts were with those involved in the crisis, especially those who were still seeking news of the whereabouts of loved ones. Members of All Saints Church in Okehampton are inviting people to join them between 9am and 9.30am each day to take a moment for reflection, to stop wherever they are and remember those affected by the tragedy. At the end of the parish communion at Northlew Church on Sunday, villager Jim Jevons spoke to the congregation about his work in Sri Lanka. Mr Jevons has spent much time helping a number of projects in Sri Lanka, including building a school. He has much experience of the country and its people and his talk brought home to everyone the many implications of the flooding. Mr Jevons is now on his way back to the area to help his many friends there.
