Naperville event to help quake, flood victims

When Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans in 2005, we watched live coverage of the winds and rain sweeping down southern streets, feared for those in the wake of the storm and started raising money for relief efforts almost before the levy broke.

This fall, two tropical storms as devastating as Katrina battered the Philippines in a matter of days, causing flooding not seen in decades in Manila, setting off mud slides in the mountains and killing nearly 1,000. At almost the same time, major earthquakes shook Sumatra, Indonesia, collapsing buildings, triggering landslides and killing more than 1,300 people.

Despite the devastation, relief efforts have been struggling as nations in Southeast Asia seek to help their own victims while much of the rest of the world has moved on past the news, says Rexcrisanto Delson of Westmont.

Delson has launched the Chicagoland Coalition for Asian Disaster Relief. The organization brings together people of various backgrounds to raise awareness of the need and money for the victims. The group hosts its first fundraiser Nov. 28 in Naperville.

"The event will be our launching pad for future fundraisers in the Chicago area and possibly other states. We hope to set an example of how grass-roots groups and organizations can unify for a greater good," Delson said. "We are convinced that any money raised at this event is secondary to the awareness raised about disasters we consider larger in magnitude than that of Hurricane Katrina."

Delson tells us more about the efforts to help those in Southeast Asia.

Q. What is your mission?

A. Our mission is to raise awareness of the natural disasters caused by typhoons and earthquakes that took place in September and October in Southeast Asia, and to raise relief funds for those victims, particularly those of the Philippines and Indonesia.

Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?

A. We plan on accomplishing our goal through a series of public fundraiser events centered on the promotion of unity within Asian countries through the use of cultural dance, martial arts and music. Our first major event will be Nov. 28 and will feature cultural dance performances from various Asian and non-Asian groups, martial arts workshops and performances, a live concert, ethnic food and cultural workshops.

Q. Who do you serve?

A. We serve all victims of Typhoon Ketsana (also known as "Ondoy"), Typhoon Parma (also known as "Peping"), and the earthquake that took place in Sumatra, Indonesia. These victims are located in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Samoa.

Q. When and why did CCADR start? How has it grown?

A. I am an American Igorot from the Philippines, and I started the organization on Oct. 3 as a response to the disasters unfolding at the time and the lack of media coverage of these disasters. Upon hearing of the disasters, I immediately began posting the idea of a fundraiser on Facebook. As interest grew, I continued to contact fellow Igorots, Filipinos, Indonesians and other Asians to partake in a fundraiser for the victims. Since then, the all-volunteer core group representing various Asian and non-Asian backgrounds has grown to 30 people and continues to grow.

Q. What kind of successes have you had?

A. So far, CCADR has attracted cultural dance groups from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Loas, Spain, Ireland and more to partake in the fundraiser. In addition to dance groups, two well-known martial arts groups, three bands, a comedian and other organizations have agreed to partake and perform at the event. Local and state politicians will attend as well.

Q. What challenges do you currently face?

A. CCADR's main challenge at the moment is publicizing the fundraiser and locating individual, corporate and business sponsors for the event.

The second challenge is uniting more Asian organizations to participate in the event and convincing them that all victims, regardless of their national ethnicity, need immediate and long-term relief. Disaster relief for Southeast Asia needs to go beyond Filipinos helping only Filipinos, Indonesians helping Indonesians, Samoans helping Samoans and so on. Sadly, there is even a division within Filipinos because each typhoon hit different geographical locations. Unfortunately, it seems that most fundraisers, relief efforts and media are more focused on the Manila area because there are more Filipinos here in the states from that area than from the mountainous Cordillera areas that was also devastated. Disaster relief needs to be a humanitarian effort by all for all.

Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about your relief effort?

A. Chicagoland Coalition for Asian Disaster Relief does not discriminate as to what countries we are striving to help. From the beginning, the organization's goal has been to help all victims, and that is why we take pride in knowing that CCADR has Americans, Filipinos, Philippine Igorots, Singaporeans, Indonesians, Koreans, Laotians, Cambodians, Chinese and Japanese people working together to raise awareness and relief funds.

Q. How can readers get involved?

A. The biggest way to get involved is to help spread the word about the fundraiser. Our goal is to raise $60,000 (a minute amount compared to what is really needed there). We can do that only if more people are aware of the disasters. We need sponsors, monetary donations, raffle and silent auction items, food donations for the event's "Taste of Southeast Asia," and volunteers to help at the event itself.

If you go

What: Relief for Asia fundraiser

Why: To raise money to help victims of the earthquake in Sumatra and typhoons that struck the Philippines this fall

When: 1 to 8 p.m. Nov. 28

Where: St. Thomas the Apostle Gymnasium, 1500 Brookdale Road, Naperville

Cost: $5 minimum donation; free raffle ticket with donation of $10 or more

Details: Concert, ethnic food, multicultural dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, raffle and auction

Info: ccadr.net

Vital statistics

Funding: Donations

Amount raised for other organizations: 100 percent of donations go to the American Red Cross Southeast Asia Disaster Relief Effort

Employees: 0

Volunteers: 30 and growing

Wish list: Exposure, money, sponsors, raffle and silent auction items, Asian food for the event

Info: (630) 514-6319, (630) 327-6789 or ccadr.net

To donate

Mail: Checks should be payable to American Red Cross with "Southeast Asia Disaster Relief Effort" in the memo line and sent to Rexcrisanto Delson, Chicagoland Coalition for Asian Disaster Relief, 301 Fordham Way, Westmont IL, 60559

Online: Paypal accepted at ccadr.net

To volunteer

Call: (630) 327-6789 or (630) 514-6319

E-mail: ccadrgroup@yahoo.com