Christchurch quake

[webwitch]

Logged in to say something witty but then a news item about today's earthquake appeared and it took all of the wind out of my sails. Not a day to be funny or witty. Just a day to think of lives shattered. My sympathy goes out to everyone in the city, cacher or not.

Robyn

[Teirae]

its devestating

[iamapom]

Recognising that this may be somewhat against the etiquette of the "General Chit-Chat" section.... but hey....

Yesterday Geostuff.com.au and Geocachers.co.nz created a NZ Earthquake Fund Raising Mini Geocoin. All profits from the sale of this coin will go an appropriate (yet to be determined) fund that benefits the victims directly.

They are in the final stages of design right now, and I expect manufacture to start in the next couple of days. So these are pre-sale only just now:

http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopi ... 15&t=15768

Thanks Carl

[CraigRat]

or perhaps donate direct to a quake charity and have your money go further fro those who need it... (just sayin')

[iamapom]

[pjmpjm]

Logged in to say something witty but then a news item about today's earthquake appeared and it took all of the wind out of my sails. Not a day to be funny or witty. Just a day to think of lives shattered. My sympathy goes out to everyone in the city, cacher or not.

Robyn

Yes, our hearts go out to them. I have a good friend in Christchurch who wrote yesterday to let me know he's OK. But he was badly shocked, living very near some of the worse-hit areas.

We should all consider marking a donation. Probably the only way we can help at this distance.

[Apty]

I've been helping out with http://twitter.com/SafeInChch It's a twitter account ppl can ask for news about loved ones in Chch or post any news they hear. When we retweet a tweet it goes to a number of feeds that pick them up and log them on various websites. We are manually updating http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com as well. This person finder site was set up by Google within a few hours of the quakes. So far over 9,000 entries in, quite high % for a city of 300,000.
If u have info about someone that was in Chch let me know or @SafeInChch so others can hear it pls.

I am ex-kiwi (still kiwi at heart) and attended uni near Chch so trying to do what I can

Some of the stories I am reading about ...
The tweet from Mr or Ms Average-Kiwi offering to drive 3 hours to pick up anyone who wants to come stay at their house,
Pay the $50 fare that AirNZ is offering for a one-way flight out of Chch, so someone can come stay - offer to total strangers,
Ppl are FLEEING in fear,
Rocks the size of cars rolling down hills and demolishing houses,
Modern buildings falling like a house of cards,
A hotel that is Chch's tallest building leaning over, windows continually breaking as it continues to move, causing a 4 block no-go area,

This is not a major shake-up, this is a full-on natural disaster. There will be ppl that having lived there their whole lives will not return to Chch.

Just my 2c worth.

Having said that, life goes on, so enjoy the moments you have and enjoy caching to the utmost when you can.

[iamapom]

Between http://www.geocachers.co.nz and http://www.geostuff.com.au we have sold around 310 of the NZ Earthquake fundraiser geocoins- we need to do our final maths, but we think that that will result in a donation of around $US1500+ for the NZ earthquake appeal.

Groundspeak donated a custom icon for the coins, and Oakcoins is producing them at a discounted rate. Thanks guys.

Coins are being manufactured right now, and we will let you know as soon as we have a delivery date.

They are still available for presale at http://www.geostuff.com.au.

[Kellyansapansa]

we think that that will result in a donation of around $US1500+ for the NZ earthquake appeal.

Groundspeak donated a custom icon for the coins, and Oakcoins is producing them at a discounted rate. Thanks guys.

That is amazing - what a wonderful community effort.