Lawrence International Spearheads Campus Relief Efforts for Indian Earthquake Victims

APPLETON, WIS. -- Representatives of the Lawrence University student organization Lawrence International presented Ram Shet of the Fox Valley organization IndUS 2000 with $958 Thursday morning to aid relief efforts for the victims of the recent earthquake in India.

Lawrence International raised the money by donating all the profits from its recent African Dinner celebration and by soliciting Lawrence students, staff and faculty for donations. Lawrence International's contribution represents nearly 10% of the cash donations raised by IndUS-2000 so far from the greater Fox Valley community.

"When we heard about the earthquake, the numbers were so shocking, we asked ourselves what could we do to show support for those people," said Nana Frimpong, president of Lawrence International. "We felt whatever we could raise, however much or little, might make a difference to someone there. I knew the Lawrence community would want to help, but I didn't think it would be so overwhelming. I guess that's an example of the Lawrence difference."

Lawrence International is a student organization dedicated to helping international students adjust to life at Lawrence and in Appleton and to providing programs on world issues for Lawrence and the Appleton community.

The Jan. 26 earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale, was centered in the arid western Indian state of Gujarat. The quake has claimed more than 24,000 lives. Officials estimate another 150,000 people have been injured and as many as one million people have been left homeless.