Bushfires

Just wanted to bring to peoples attention an appeal a ravelry member is doing (the following is a direct copy from the blog of Serendipity found at http://passionfruit.typepad.com/serendipity/)

"By now most of you would have heard of the devastating bushfires that have ripped through my state of Victoria.

To date 173 people have lost their lives and we have just been informed that the death toll could top 300 people. 750 homes have been lost and thousands of people have escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Victorian hospitals are also stretched through having to treat burns victims.

Animal rescue shelters have been rescuing and treating pets and wildlife which have also been caught in the flames.

The area of devastation surrounds Melbourne and it has been likened to "Hell on Earth". You only have to google Victorian bushfires to be confronted with the terrifying images.
In order to put the strength of these bushfires into context I will quote something that appeared in one of our daily newspapers today. "Bushfire heat is measured in energy - the number of kilowatts per metre of firefront. Country Fire Authority crews won't send anyone to fight a fire over 4,000 kilowatts per meter. The Kinglake fire was 20,000 kilowatts per meter. This is the equivalent to 10,000 electric radiators. DSE spokesman said sending firefighters to a blaze this hot would be 'suicide'."


I am one of the fortunate ones as I am nowhere near the fires and all my loved ones are safe. However I have friends who were surrounded by fires before managing to somehow keep them away from their homes and another friend has lost a young niece and nephew who died trying to escape.


In times like this we often ask what we can do? Well the knitting community is known for its generosity so I decided that there must be a way I could help coordinate efforts. I have been in contact with a number of yarn stores and designers who have all contributed something towards a raffle.


Basically how it works is you need to go to the Australian Red Cross Website and make a donation of AUD$10 or above to the Victorian bushfire appeal. For every $10 you donate you will go into the draw for a knitting/fibre related prize. Now the Australian dollar is so pathetic at the moment that for some of you $10 will hardly be felt at all! ;-)

Email me a copy of your receipt to this email address or knittershelpingvictorians at gmail dot com"

I urge everybody to join this campaign - she has been updating prizes as she receives them, so go to http://passionfruit.typepad.com/serendipity/ for more information. I've donated one of are popular "Flat Feet" along with some 3mm Clover Bamboo needles.