RedR Canada asks consulting engineers to help Tsunami relief effort

Following is a letter received January 4 by Canadian Consulting Engineer from RedR Canada, the engineering relief agency and a registered charity.
“The South Asian tsunami disaster has tugged at the hearts of Canadians from coast to coast. We are hearing from engineering friends, firms and associations that they want to help and are looking for a vehicle to help finance the long-term reconstruction of the ravaged areas as well as the immediate relief efforts.
“As you may remember, RedR Canada was created by ACEC and its partners, CCPE, EIC, and CAE, to provide a vehicle for Canadian Engineers to contribute to disaster relief efforts around the world. We at RedR have been working hard to deploy Canadians registered with RedR Canada to the relief efforts and have two members in the disaster area already and 16 more who have confirmed their readiness to go. In addition the world-wide chapters of RedR now have 20 personnel in the disaster area assisting relief agencies.
“RedR Canada has also opened a special tsunami relief donation page on its web-site which will enable funds to be matched 1 for 1 by the federal government. We have pledged to devote 100% of funds raised by RedR Canada earmarked for the tsunami relief effort to Canadian Save the Children, an NGO working in the area and which has been particularly responsive to RedR Canada’s presence. One of our members is on the ground in Sri Lanka doing a needs assessment for Save the Children now.
“I would like to suggest that if your firm or your employees are contemplating making a donation to the relief effort that you consider making the donation through RedR Canada, as a way to focus the largesse of Canadian Engineers through an engineering-led humanitarian agency.
“Collectively this will help to raise the profile of RedR and Canadian engineering firms in general and will accomplish the doubling of the contributions to the benefit of the victims. Here is the link to the RedR Canada donation page:
http://www.redr.ca/support/Donation.htm
http://www.redr.ca/support/Donation.htm
“We are advised that donations received by January 17, 2005, will be considered in the 2004 tax year by Revenue Canada if that is a consideration to you or your firm.
The RedR Canada Board of Directors is committed to do all that we can to reduce the suffering being experienced by the survivors in the disaster zone and will be working to that end in the months to come. The engineering profession is strongly represented on the RedR Canada Board by Wayne Bowes, Andrew Steeves, Bob Lorimer , and Dave Chalcroft, all Past Chairs of ACEC, by Guy Gosselin, Past-President of EIC, and by Bill Pearson of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
“We look forward to your firm’s participation in this important fund-raising undertaking.

Yours sincerely,
Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng.
Chair, RedR Canada”