Funds collected in a new relief effort on Kaua‘i to help those affected by the tsunami will go directly to those who need it, the Rev. Donor Macneice said yesterday. That’s because Macneice, the rector of Christ Memorial Episcopal Church
Funds collected in a new relief effort on Kaua‘i to help those affected by the tsunami will go directly to those who need it, the Rev. Donor Macneice said yesterday.
That’s because Macneice, the rector of Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in Kilauea and St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Hanalei, will be delivering funds directly to Thailand’s prime minister in two weeks.
Macneice was planning to be in Thailand in January anyway. But with the opportunity to help and knowing the generosity of the Kaua‘i community, Macneice called up the Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Macneice said members of those two churches have visited Thailand many times in the past few years and, as it is impossible for them to be able to help everyone affected by the disaster, they have decided to concentrate on Thailand.
Macneice said that while the prime minister mentioned immediate needs for water, medical supplies and clothing, “these are not things we are able to furnish from here.”
However, the prime minister also made it clear that millions of dollars are needed to buy these things, and also to rebuild the infrastructure of the affected areas, Macneice added.
So the reverend and the prime minister set up a meeting, when Macneice will be in Bangkok on Jan. 12, to personally hand over a bank draft (check) for all the money collected. The prime minister said the funds would go directly to Phuket, one of the areas in Thailand hit hardest by the tsunami. Nearly 2,000 people had been confirmed dead as of yesterday in the Southeast Asian country.
Donations will be accepted until Thursday, Jan. 6. They can be sent to “Thailand Relief,” at Christ Memorial Church, P.O. Box 293, Kilauea, HI 96754, or St. Thomas’ Church, P.O. Box 1221, Hanalei, HI 96714.
Donations may also be left at the Christ Memorial Thrift Store on Kolo Road, Kilauea, or at Hanalei Liquor, Kuhio Highway, Hanalei. Macneice will be leaving for Thailand on Monday, Jan. 10.
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mailto:tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
