All of us have been shocked by the Hurricane Katrina disaster that affected the Gulf Coast area of the United States. The images are heartbreaking and the extent of the devastation is unbelievable . . . yet we must believe it because we see it every time we read a newspaper or turn on a television set. Each of us, in our own way, wants to do something to help those who have lost everything.

Rotary Zones 29 & 30 comprise 24 Rotary districts in 12 southern and Midwestern U.S. states. These zones include all of the areas which have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. To assist in the relief effort, the Zones have established the "Katrina Relief Fund", a donor advised fund (DAF) with The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. This fund will serve to help streamline the flow of contributions from Rotarians and others looking to assist victims of the hurricane disaster.

A committee identified by the leadership in the two zones will work with local Rotary clubs and districts, as well as emergency relief agencies to meet the most pressing needs of people in the affected areas.

Directors of the fund are RI Director Robert A Stuart Jr.; Immediate Past RI Vice President John Germ; Duane Sterling, a past general manager of the Foundation; Donald Collette, a past Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, and Kenneth Schuppert, a Major Gift Advisor for the Foundation. Together, the directors bring outstanding experience and qualifications related to their responsibilities as custodians of the relief fund, including law, engineering, electrical power systems, management of disaster programs, and fund supervision.

The fastest way to contribute to the "Katrina Relief Fund (DAF-TRF)" is to donate online using your credit card. The company which is processing these transactions will accept all international credit cards which will automatically convert your contribution into US$ which is the only currency form the fund can receive. I encourage you to help those who have been affected by this disaster by contributing today to The Rotary Foundation “Katrina Relief Fund” (DAF- TRF).

Rotarians throughout Zones 29 and 30 and all of North America have organized and come forward to provide disaster relief including food, clothing, water and shelter. They are helping to relocate refugees and to get children registered in school. They are working around the clock. They need your help in providing supplies and services but most of all they need your financial contribution today. The Katrina Relief Fund will send your contributions directly to organizations that Rotary is working with to provide support to the biggest relief effort in the history of the United States. I encourage you to forward this message to other Rotarians so we can reach as many of our members as possible. We need everyone's support in this endeavour.

For more information on relief efforts and other ways to help, please visit RI's World Community Service Disaster Relief page and check the RI home page frequently for updates. For complete information on Donor Advised Funds please visit the Rotary web site.