Fundraiser to benefit Chilean earthquake victims

March 14, 2010 | By Debra Baer | KPCC

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A young girl walks through the streets past homes damaged by the Feb. 27th earthquake on March 13, 2010 in San Pedro De Alcantara, Chile. The newly sworn in president Sebastian Pinera is faced with the challenge of repairing the damage done by the natural disaster.

Chilean-Americans in Los Angeles are sponsoring a day-long event today to raise money for earthquake victims in their native country.

The event called “Chile…we’re with you!” features eight hours of music, entertainment and raffles. The Chilean cultural group Club Huasos Chile-USA is sponsoring it in coordination with the American Red Cross.

"It will be a good time. I would like to invite everyone to help us because our Chile needs everybody."

Club president Jorge Rojas was born in Concepcion. His family, like so many others, survived the magnitude 8-point-8 quake and the tsunami that followed, but they lost everything. Now the rainy season is approaching. "We need tarps to cover the new construction, we need generators, water filters and we need money," he said.

Members of the Red Cross Los Angeles chapter will collect cash donations at the event. "We’re asking for monetary donations to help us provide water carrying cans and hygiene kits for the people of Chile," said Red Cross spokeswoman Monica Diaz.

By Friday, the official death toll from the February 27th quake and tsunami was approaching 500. The catastrophe destroyed or damaged at least 500,000 homes.

The event is from 11am-7pm, near downtown Los Angeles at 1831 W. 3rd Street in the parking lot of the Loborio Market.

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