Silver Spring, MarylandAn estimated 300 people attended a concert at the Washington Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Sunday, August 26, to support families whose lives have been shattered by the recent earthquake in Peru. Concert proceeds, including matching funds, totaled more than $13,000 and were donated to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International for its continuing relief efforts in the earthquake-affected area.
The four-hour benefit event, "ADRATON pro Perú" (ADRATHON for Peru), featured a car wash, food booths, and musical performances by several local Christian bands.
"The concert went very well," said Mario Ochoa, executive vice president of ADRA International. "It was absolutely a success as an appeal to the public, with many people showing their support for the earthquake survivors."
Victor Huamán, director of emergency response for ADRA Peru, called in from Chincha, one of the earthquake-hit areas where ADRA is implementing relief projects, to speak to attendees about the impact of the tragedy, what ADRA is doing, and encourage the crowd to continue helping those in need. He thanked donors for their support and contributions.
Homero Salazar, pastor for the Washington Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, was also pleased by the turnout at the event. "I am grateful for the support of the members of the Washington Spanish Church," said Salazar during a post-concert interview. "I am from Peru, and when I was eight years old, a massive earthquake hit Peru. I remember seeing houses falling, and crying because I was scared. I know what it feels like to have to sleep in the streets, because I had to sleep in the streets. When I saw in the news what had happened, it all came back to me. That's why it was so important to me to organize and motivate my church and the community in this way," he added.
On Wednesday, August 15, at 6:41 p.m. local time, an 8.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Peru, affecting the cities of Ica, Pisco, San Vicente de Cañete, and Chincha Alta and surrounding areas. Its effects were felt as far away as Lima, Pucallpa, Iquitos, Contamana, Trujillo, and Cajamarca.
The Peruvian National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) has reported at least 519 people killed, with nearly 1,400 people injured. More than 71,250 houses were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.
ADRA Peru immediately sent a disaster response team along with more than 80 volunteers including doctors, nurses, psychologists, and nutritionists to the affected region. To date, the ADRA team has distributed more than 40 tons of supplies, including food, medicine, water, tents, blankets, and clothing donated by Peruvian businesses to aid survivors in the earthquake affected regions of Chincha and Pisco.
Over the past two weeks, ADRA Peru disaster response teams have set up nearly 170 tents for displaced families, delivered more than 1,100 blankets, distributed clean water to 550 households, and set up five kitchens where volunteers have served warm meals to affected persons in the Chincha communities of Melchorita, Salvador, Túpac Amaru, Santa Rosa, and San Luis.
ADRA is expanding its response in the affected areas to help thousands more additional families through a partnership with U.S.-based Heart to Heart International and ADRA supporting offices in the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.
ADRA is continuing to accept financial donations in response to the needs of earthquake survivors. Donations will be used to purchase additional emergency response supplies in Peru.
To donate to ADRA's earthquake response efforts in Peru, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or donate online at www.adra.org.
ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
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Media Contact:
Nadia McGill
ADRA International
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Phone: 301.680.5145
E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
