Ashika Relief Fund collects over $600,000 [1]
Sunday, August 16, 2009 - 20:30. Updated on Thursday, August 6, 2015 - 13:17.
Donations to the Ashika Relief Fund have reached over $600,000 pa'anga the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, Busby Kautok, said on August 14 on receiving a $2,000 donation from the Staff Association Committee of the Westpac Bank of Tonga.
"And this is just from local donations," he said.
Busby expected this number would grow since Tongans overseas and others had pledged amounts to help families affected in this time of national grief.
The $2,000 donation from Westpac staff was raised after staff in all six Westpac branches in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua wore black on a three-day mufti.
Prior to that Westpac Bank of Tonga had also donated $20,000 to the Tonga Red Cross to assist them in their endeavor to help families of the Ashika tragedy.
Relief Fund
Government established the Ashika Relief Fund with $500,000 pa'anga for the purpose of helping families who have been affected. The Chinese Federation, Chinese Business Council and Chinese residents in Tonga made the first outside donation of $51,572 earlier in the week.
This was followed by a USD$30,000 dollars donation from the China Red Cross presented to the Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele earlier this week.
Busby said the Trustees of the Fund had been appointed and would hold their first meeting next week, to decide how the funds will be distributed to those affected.
Meanwhile, many fundraisings are being held in the capital to raise money to aid those families who have lost loved ones in the MV Princess Ashika tragedy.