I think this was probably covered by every local media outlet already, but hey, what’s it hurt to call more attention to a great cause. Members of the Champaign West Rotary Club camped out on the little isthmus between Neil and Market at Logan Street last night, encouraging passersby to donate money to Haiti relief.
The money will be used to purchase Shelter Boxes, packages containing a tent and other survival supplies. When I visited at 6 p.m. or so, they’d already raised $8,000 that day and $13,000 overall, enough to purchase 13 shelter boxes. If you didn’t have a chance last night, and would still like to give, contact the Rotary’s Bill Walter.
Here are some pictures. The list of the contents of the Shelter Boxes follow after:
That’s Bill Walter on the left.
And that’s City Councilperson Karen Foster on the right (a good reporter would have gotten everyone’s names).
The Shelter Box (pictured above) contains the following:
• One ten-person tent, including two fabric interior privacy partitions, outer fly-sheet and repair kit. These tents are considered ‘winter suitable’ by international relief standards.
• Vinyl insulated sleeping mats and lightweight thermal blankets. More compact than sleeping bags, these mats and blankets have multiple uses. The blanket can also be fashioned to catch water, as a tarp, etc. while the mat also serves as a ground ‘table’ for meals, or tent rugs.
• One pack of 180 water purification tablets or a water purification kit; and one 5 gallon flat-pack water container (Each tablet will purify a full container of water providing 1,800 gallons of clean drinking water which should be sufficient for a family of ten for up to three months).
• Two 2.1 gallon, collapsible, plastic water carriers.
• One collapsible trenching shovel
• Rope, 164 foot
• Repellant-treated mosquito netting
• Ten PVC Ponchos/ ten HD plastic bags
• Tool kit in canvas bag: hachet, jack-knife, screwdriver, hammer, hoe head etc.
• Multi-fueled cook stove
• Eating utensils: enamel plates/cups
• Children’s activity kit-simple school supplies, stickers and coloring book