Hundreds In LA Pound The Pavement To Aid Victims Of Typhoon Haiyan
VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — Hundreds in Los Angeles pounded the pavement on Sunday during a 5K walk to raise funds for the victims and survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.
The relief effort by the Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (PeDRO) got underway at 8 a.m. at Woodley Park in Van Nuys.
Lynne Isaac of PeDRO told CBS2's Joy Benedict that funds raised from the day's event will go toward providing food and water to the typhoon-devastated region.
"I'd like to call on everybody to join us in this effort to help all the victims of this natural disaster in the Philippines," Isaac said. "Right now with this typhoon, it had completely wiped out everything. The water is mostly contaminated and they need water. Clean water. Drinking water to be exact."
She said the event was initially planned to support the victims of last month's magnitude-7.1 earthquake, which struck in the central Philippines.
However, in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, proceeds were expected to go toward aiding the victims of both catastrophic events.
Consul General Maria Hellen M. Barber-de la Vega of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles told Benedict that her office was waiting to receive a needs-assessment from the Department of Foreign Affairs. She explained that her own Foreign Affairs division has an office in Tacloban, which they've been trying to reach.
"Money is the most flexible form of a donation. We would appreciate this type of donation," she said.
On Sunday, officials said more than 10,000 people were feared dead in the Philippines. The super typhoon struck the region Friday, bringing flooding and heavy winds.
The storm is currently hovering over Vietnam and has prompted more than one million people to move to safer areas ahead of its arrival.
RELATED STORY: How You Can Help: Philippines Relief Efforts Underway
