Hello friends and family,

 

As we gear up to run the LA marathon, we thought we would throw our support behind the international fundraising campaign organized by and for Tongan island communities affected by the recent tsunami. The January 15th Tonga Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption set off an extreme and unrelenting environmental catastrophe. While many leaders locally and abroad have responded admirably, spurring initial efforts to reestablish lines of communication and provide essentials to those in need, relief efforts are ongoing. We hope to contribute what resources we can to the next stage of recovery.

 

We chose this fundraising campaign because:

1. The tsunami is estimated to have caused over $90 million of damages, nearly 1/5 of Tonga's GDP, according to the World Bank. (https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/02/14/tonga-volcanic-eruption-and-tsunami-world-bank-disaster-assessment-report-estimates-damages-at-us-90m) Who knows what immeasurable human cost can be added to this total.

 

2. The central GoFundMe, organized by Pita Taufatofua, has generated over $800,000 in support, yet it remains short of its $1 million goal. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/tonga-tsunami-relief-by-pita-taufatofua)

 

3. Island and coastal communities will continually face the wavefront of ecosystem change and extreme weather events brought on or intensified by climate change. As coastal dwellers ourselves, we believe that if we set our sights on supporting the communities most at risk, it will bring urgency to the broader climate movement and build international networks of collaboration that can only benefit us in the long run.

 

After the marathon, all funds will go into the larger GoFundMe with a note from the community. Please include a comment with any well-wishes you would like to send to the Tongan organizers, and we will be sure to pass it on.

 

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions and thank you in advance for your support!

 

Emmett Cleary, Eloise Stanton and Henry Steyer

 

 

 

PC: Gladys Guttenbeil from Vava'u. "Eve of Eruption"