The Canadian Red Cross accepted a cheque and thanked radio station RED FM and the South Asian community for the more than $730,000 that they raised through two fundraiser radio-thons in Vancouver and Calgary.
All proceeds will help Red Cross relief efforts in Nepal.
Red 93.1 FM in Vancouver raised $418,724.85 and Red 106.7 FM in Calgary raised $311,970.06.
RED FM president Kulwinder Sanghera thanked the community for their outstanding support. “The community has been giving generously to help those in need over the years – whether it was the floods in Pakistan, or a typhoon in the Philippines – we never stop helping.”
“This time as well there was no dearth of generosity," said RED FM Vice-president Bijoy Samuel. "People were lining up not only to donate money but to also donate their time by volunteering. We are extremely thankful for this support. Members of the local Nepali community were with us throughout the fundraiser."
Thousands of people called in to make their pledges and hundreds walked in to the RED FM studios to donate.
“RED FM and their community members continue to be tremendous supporters of the Canadian Red Cross,” said Kimberley Nemrava, Canadian Red Cross Director for B.C. & Yukon. “Their outpouring of compassion and generosity contributes greatly to how we can help those impacted by devastating disasters. Thank you.”
India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture.