In response to the recent earthquake in Nepal that has killed at least 7,600 people and left hundreds of thousands with uninhabitable homes, Southwest Coloradans have organized several fundraising events and accounts.
Here is a list:
Friday/Saturday: Inhabit, in the Riverside Professional Building at 1970 East Third Ave., will host two showings of the film “Talking Story,” a documentary about ancient spiritual and healing traditions from around the world, including Nepal, by filmmaker/author Marie-Rose Phan-Lê. The showings will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and at 4 p.m. Saturday. All proceeds from the screenings will go the Karma and Jyamu Bhotia Foundation. Tickets are $11 at the door. For more information, call 749-3019.
May 13: Several Durango restaurants are combining for a May 13 event – “A Night for Nepal” – to raise money for victims of the earthquake-ravaged country. The Himalayan Restaurant will host a dinner, cash bar and live music from Bob’s Yr Uncle for a minimum donation of $35 per person. Meanwhile, participating restaurants around Durango will donate 10 percent of the evening’s proceeds to the Karma and Jyamu Bhotia Foundation, a nonprofit that will forward the money to help people of Nepal rebuild. Karma and Jyamu Bhotia, Nepal natives, own the Himalayan. The Himalayan event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. The Ore House, East by Southwest, Nini’s Taqueria, Ska Brewing, Mahogany Grill, BREW Pub and Kitchen, Gazpacho, Yardbird Eatery, The Red Snapper and Mutu’s Italian Kitchen are among the participating restaurants. Also, Animas Trading is donating proceeds from May 13.
May 14: A free slideshow presentation, “Nepal: The Beauty of the Land and People and Challenges for Earthquake Relief,” will be held at 7 p.m. May 14 at the Mancos Public Library. Mancos resident Sherry Grazda, who trekked in Nepal in 2012, will show slides of the country’s “astonishing beauty” and will talk about how the area’s geography and geology contribute to the overwhelming devastation, impact on human lives and challenges for relief efforts. Grazda will give advice on donating to the most effective and reliable organizations. She said that many of the villages she visited were severely affected.
Ongoing efforts
Osprey Packs, headquartered in Cortez, is supporting earthquake reconstruction efforts through collaboration with the Ridgway-based dZi Foundation. Osprey announced this week that its matching program, Double Down for dZi, will raise money to help Nepal’s most remote communities recover.
“Based in Colorado, the dZi Foundation is a trusted friend and neighbor to the Osprey family,” Sam Mix, Osprey Packs marketing outreach manager, said in a news release. “dZi is uniquely positioned to aid in the long-term, reconstruction efforts.”
The foundation currently serves almost 30,000 people in remote villages, focusing primarily on basic infrastructure such as school buildings, toilets, drinking water systems and bridges, as well as agriculture initiatives.
To participate, visit www.dzi.org/donate/#join, select a contribution amount and type “Osprey” in the comment box. Osprey will match up to $5,000 in total contributions from Thursday through May 31.
The Karma and Jyamu Bhotia Foundation was set up to help the villages around Chyamtang in northeastern Nepal, but it will be funneling donations to worthy earthquake-related causes, such as helping people rebuild homes, Karma and Jyamu Bhotia said. The foundation has an all-volunteer, unpaid staff. Visit http://bhotiafoundation.org to donate or for more information.
A relief fund at Bank of the San Juans, 144 E. Eighth St., has been set up to aid families of the local Nepalese community who were affected by the earthquake. All proceeds will be distributed directly to the local Nepalese community members to help their families in reconstruction and repair of destroyed and damaged homes and to provide basic necessities during the recovery process. Donations are being accepted at any Bank of the San Juans location. Checks can be made payable to Bank of the San Juans with “Nepal Community Relief Fund” in the memo line.
For more information, email Maureen May at maymaureen@yahoo.com.
