The Rotary Club of Westminster 7:10 is raising money for "ShelterBox," an international humanitarian aid organization affiliated with Rotary International, to help victims of natural disasters around the world. Local members have agreed to contribute $1,000 to assist with relief efforts in Myanmar (Burma), which was recently hit by a devastating cyclone.

The ShelterBox program provides victims of disaster with shelter and a selection of survival gear. This program, headquartered in England, with affiliates worldwide, has been at work in Myanmar, providing aid boxes to those left homeless by Cyclone Nargis on May 2. Each aid box contains a10-person tent, sleeping mats, mosquito netting, a stove and cooking implements, emergency water purification supplies, and hand tools. The box and contents become the property of the recipients. As of May 15, approximately 1,600 ShelterBoxes had arrived at the airport in Yangon, ready for distribution and ShelterBox has made an initial commitment of 400 boxes for earthquake victims in China.

A complete ShelterBox costs $1,000 to sponsor, but financial contributions of any amount are welcome. The ShelterBox project was conceived and developed by Tom Henderson, a member of the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, in England. Struck with the urgent worldwide need for a self-contained emergency shelter unit when disaster occurs, Henderson designed a tent, researched suppliers and developed the ShelterBox. To date, ShelterBox has distributed its unique aid package to 65 disaster events in 47 countries since 2001, including over 13,000 units for the Christmas tsunami of 2004.

Donations are tax deductible and may be directed to the Westminster 7:10 Rotary Club Foundation, P.O. Box 407, Westminster 80036, or to ShelterBox USA, 8374 Market St. #203, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202.For more information, please go to www.shelterbox.org or www.shelterboxusa.org.