Donations to Tasmanian Bushfire Victims in Australia Reach Past $2M, Prince Charles, Wife Camilla Among Donors
Donations to victims affected by the first catastrophic bushfire in Tasmania, Australia have reached past A$2 million, with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, among those who donated a significant amount.
The royal couple, who visited Tasmania in November 2012 during a five-hour stopover to mark Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, turned over their donation to the Australian Red Cross Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal.
"Prince Charles and his wife sent word that they were profoundly saddened to hear about the damage and despair caused by the crisis," Peter Underwood, Governor of Tasmania, said.
Other institutions that chipped in resources to the Tasmanian bushfire fundraising effort include ANZ, National Australia and Commonwealth banks which donated $100,000, as well as Domino's pizza, where ever one dollar from every sold pizza automatically goes to the Australian Red Cross Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal. The pizza chain has 11 stores all over Tasmania.
Food outlets T42 and Fish Frenzy donated $10,000 each to the fundraising effort, while Hobart radio station 7HOFM will turnover more than $125,000 to the appeal.
An independent committee will take charge in distributing all the donations collected by the Australian Red Cross Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal to the families displaced by the fires.
Tasmania's bushfires, which started Thursday last week, razed more than 130 homes and scorched at least 110,000 hectares on the state's eastern peninsula.
Although the missing 100 persons have yet to be found, local police are confident Tasmania's catastrophic bushfire of 2013 is fatality-free.
"We have no missing persons reports in circumstances where we hold grave fears for the safety of any individual, which is a very positive position to be in," Scott Tilyard, acting police commissioner, was quoted by The Herald Sun. "As time goes by that confidence gains but we're still yet to complete our searching process.
"Until such time as we have then we really can't confirm that no one has passed away. The indications up until now are good and we hope that that continues."
Read more:
First Bushfire Catastrophe Hits Australia in 2013
Bushfire Prone Australia: What to Do and Prepare
Australia 2013 Bushfires: NSW Residents on Alert as Bushfire Goes Out of Control
Australia 2013 Bushfires: Insurance Incidence Claims Rise Above $42M, More Coming
Australia Bushfires Continue Rampage as Temperatures Barely Ease
Australia Bushfires: Residents Advised to Be Wary of Health, Safety as They Reclaim Lives
Astronaut Captures on Photo Australia's 'Catastrophic' Bushfires