I'd like to add my support for both Ron's gesture and for donating
directly to Docs w/out Borders (aka medicins san frontiers MSF)---
this group puts donated money almost directly onto the ground, and won
a Nobel Peace Prize a few years back.  [I give donations to them in
the names of F&F as Christmas presents.]

It really is going to take a global effort to give out the help thats
needed over there... heres to pitching in.

On Mon, 27 Dec 2004 18:30:59 -0800, Tom Young <tomyoung1@comcast.net> wrote:
> A generous and magnificent gesture.  I'll be making my donation directly.
>
> Let's pass this on to the "big boy" auto parts vendors (NAPA, Kragens, etc.)
> and see if any one of them will step up to the plate!
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young
> Lafayette, CA 94549
> ---------------------------------------------------
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "The Bus Depot" <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 5:52 PM
> Subject: Help BusDepot Donate to Tsunami Victims
>
> I'm sure that by now most of you have heard of the tsunamis/earthquake in
> Asia that have killed more than 23,000 people so far. Malaria and cholera
> will probably now kill tens of thousands of the initial survivors. And
> literally millions more - yes, millions - are severely injured and/or have
> lost their homes and all of their belongings. Many of them were already the
> poorest of the poor, and have now lost everything they have in life,
> including their loved ones, even if they do survive the disaster.  According
> to the United Nations (quoted by the Associated Press), this may be the
> worst natural disaster of modern times, and will certainly require the
> biggest relief effort the world has ever seen. Said one U.N. aid worker, "We
> are used to dealing with disasters in one country, but something like this
> spread across many countries and islands is unprecedented. We have not had
> this before." To put this tragedy in a U.S. perspective, the death toll at
> the outset is almost ten times that of the 9/11 tragedy, and is climbing
> rapidly.
>
> The Bus Depot has always donated a portion of our profits to humanitarian
> charities on an ongoing basis. (See http://busdepot.com/help.jsp#DONATIONS
> .) But I feel that the severity of this disaster demands special attention.
>
> So from now until New Years, 25 percent of the net profits of BusDepot.com
> sales will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, to provide medical relief
> for the victims of this tragedy.
>
> You do not need to do anything special to request this when you place a
> BusDepot order. It does not apply only to those who request it. We will
> donate this amount from all sales, regardless of whether the person placing
> the order knows about the donation or mentions it.
>
> Of course you don't need to buy Vanagon parts in order to make a difference.
> If you don't need any Vanagon parts, or simply want to donate more, you can
> always donate directly to http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org or the
> charity of your choice.
>
> While we worry about trivialities like our Vanagons and the daily grind of
> "western world" living, it's easy to forget that there are millions of
> people in this world whose everyday lives are more horrible than the single
> worst day that we will experience in our entire privileged lives.  It is
> unimaginable to see such tragedy befall those who already have so little to
> begin with. We truly are the lucky ones.
>
> - Ron Salmon
>   The Bus Depot, Inc.
>   www.busdepot.com
>   (215)  234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>