Rasi Wickramasinghe was visiting family in Sri Lanka 1 1⁄2 miles from shore when the tsunami hit. Uninjured, he used his vacation money to buy food, water and clothing for victims, and within days launched his own fund-raising effort in concert with a Sri Lankan radio station.
Wickramasinghe, ’02, was just one of the many members of the Stanford community compelled to help in the weeks following the disaster that struck 11 Asian and East African countries.
Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital sent an estimated $52,000 worth of sterile gloves, bandages and other medical and surgical supplies to the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala, India.
Asha Pillai, ’90, a former fellow in pediatric hematology/oncology and adult hematology at Stanford, was in Kerala at the time of the tsunami. She escaped injury but immediately waded into waist-deep water to begin helping victims. Pillai stationed herself at one of the local relief camps, and once the majority of the physical injuries were under control, she began focusing on psychological therapy for the traumatized children of the area. “Many of them are unable to sleep or go into a room because they have recurring visions of waters rushing into their home to kill them while they doze,” she told Stanford Report. Pillai returned to Stanford in January. Several other doctors and at least one medical student planned to travel to affected regions in the following months.
Undergraduates pulled together as well. More than 20 student groups, including sororities, fraternities, cultural and community organizations, and a student chapter of the American Red Cross, combined fund-raising efforts to form Stanford Students for Relief. They hoped to raise $100,000 on behalf of Save the Children. In addition to online contributions, the group went dorm-to-dorm soliciting funds from fellow students. University President John Hennessy and his family pledged to match up to $5,000 in student contributions.
The most unusual money-raising scheme involved Larkin residents. Freshmen Andrew Burmon, Pam Geist and Joel Lewenstein produced “The Freshman 12: A Calendar.” It depicts students in everyday scenarios, with one important distinction: they are naked. The photos were composed to hide students’ private parts. Miss February is featured in Green Library “wearing” two carefully positioned books and Time’s Man of the Year issue. Money raised from sales of the $10 calendar will go to Stanford Students for Relief. By early February, 350 had been sold.
