Devastation hit India and Pakistan when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the disputed land of Kashmir claimed about 55,000 Pakistani lives and 1,300 Indian ones. Pakistan estimated the need for $5 billion more to rebuild their country, which is suffering from disease and homelessness. To help with relief, the South Asian Student Association (SASA) organized a fundraiser.

SASA raised $212, which is equivalent to 9222 rupees, the Indian currency, for victims of the Kashmir earthquake, selling Indian food and SASA T-shirts on the quad.

“Some of the food ran out right away,” junior president Akila Subramanian said. “Everybody bought the samosas and the pakoras. The curry and the naan lasted longer but by the end of lunch, all of our food was gone.”

Restaurants Darbar, Janta, Dastar and Café Bombay donated food to sell. “We didn’t sell as many T-shirts as we had hoped,” senior SASA secretary Suhail Shaikh said. “If we had, we definitely would have raised more money.”

Money from the fundraiser is going to the Red Cross. “We send all our money to charities,” Subramanian said. “But now, we are able to send it to specific causes and help specific people like last year with the tsunami and this year with Hurricane Katrina and now the earthquake.”

Founded by Subramanian, juniors Lauren Krensky and Haley Knapp in the summer of 2004, the SASA club is a fundraiser club for charities helping South Asia. “I hope the money supplies the victims with water or whatever they really need,” Subramanian said.

SASA is juggling with fundraising ideas for the future, including an international dance event and a movie night. “We try to mix things up a bit,” junior SASA treasurer Ambika Rustagi said. “Food is definitely big, but in out other events, we had a movie night which we will try to have again. We are also pushing for an international dance that features all of the clubs that we can pool together, so in addition to spreading culture, we can raise a lot of money.”

Although still undecided, the club is thinking of having a cricket match that includes both students and staff. According to Shaikh, SASA is also likely to perform during International Week.