Chan to visit tsunami-hit areas in RI

Chan to visit tsunami-hit areas in RI

HONG KONG: Jackie Chan said on Monday he will visit tsunami-hit
areas in Indonesia this month, as he announced that a star-
studded charity show he helped organize raised US$4.8 million for
the aid effort.

Chan and his entourage hoped to tour hard-hit Aceh province on
April 18 to April 20, but the details of his itinerary were not
available, said actor Eric Tsang, who planned to travel with
Chan. A separate celebrity group planned to visit Sri Lanka at an
unspecified date.

Chan also announced that $4.8 million was raised from a Jan. 7
charity concert featuring Hollywood action star Jet Li, Hong Kong
singers Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau and Taiwanese pop diva Chang
Hui-mei.

Donations poured in for more than two months after the show,
organizers said in a statement.

Chan said he was impressed with the result and proposed making
the show a permanent annual event to start up an emergency fund
for other disasters.

"I'm very happy and proud that small Hong Kong captured the
attention of the world this way," he said. "Some Hong Kongers
didn't just donate once, they donated more than three times."

Tsang said the donations would be roughly evenly split between
five charities: the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the United
Nations Children's Fund, Oxfam and World Vision.

The money will fund projects including reconstruction, helping
fishermen and orphans, as well as psychological counseling for
people who lost loved ones, Tsang said. --AP