Photonics Firms Help Tsunami Victims

PITTSFIELD, Mass., Jan 4 -- Laurin Publishing and other photonics-related companies are among the many corporate and private donors to relief efforts for those affected by the Dec. 26 earthquake and resulting tsunamis in Southeast Asia (This list will be periodically updated):

Alcatel (Paris), which has 1400 employees in the affected region, is making $1 million worth of aid available to its local subsidiaries to expand local emergency actions already underway to restore networks and to provide relief. In Sri Lanka and Indonesia, vital fixed and mobile communications services, which play a key role in establishing the necessary contacts to provide essential relief needs, are being restored, and employees are making personal contributions that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.

The 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), being held through Jan. 9 in Las Vegas, is collaborating with the fund-raising efforts of the American Red Cross International Response Fund. CES attendees are able to make onsite contributions to the Red Cross tsunami relief effort via designated cash registers in the registration areas. The show's sponsor, the Consumer Electronics Assocation, said it will also make a significant donation to the American Red Cross.

Honeywell (Morris Township, N.J.), $1 million through the company's Honeywell Hometown Solutions initiative. A Honeywell team of employee volunteers from Bangalore, India, is supporting a 90-day construction effort to rebuild 50 houses in one of the most severely affected villages. Separately, each of Honeywell's 1500 employees in Pune, India, has agreed to donate one day's salary to relief efforts. Teams of employees have also delivered clothes, utensils and other basic amenities to the affected village of Kulachol, India.

Laurin Publishing is donating $5000, plus employee contributions, to the American Red Cross.

Mitsubishi Electric Corp., of Tokyo, will donate a total of approximately $47 million and is considering possible future contributions.

PerkinElmer, of Boston, $100,000 donation to the Red Cross.

Samsung has increased its initial contribution of $1 million to $3 million. More than 10,000 Samsung employees located in the affected areas have already volunteered to take part in the relief efforts. The group has also formed an emergency rescue corps consisting of local employees in South Asia and medical personnel from Korea, who began on-site operations on Jan. 5.

telx, a New York City-based operator of telecommunications network interconnection facilities, is calling on telecommunications companies to participate in its Telecom Industry Tsunami Relief Fund, which it established to provide the industry with a coordinated method of contributing to the efforts of Direct Relief International, a nonprofit organization providing medical aid and supplies to the tsunami disaster areas. To donate, visit: www.directrelief.org/sections/support_us/d_donate_now.html; include "Telecom Industry Tsunami Relief Fund" in the comment box. For more information, contact Jaymie Scotto, at jscotto@telx.com.

Verizon: More than $1 million in donations to two relief agencies. The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, is matching employee contributions 2-to-1 to the American Red Cross and UNICEF through Jan. 31. The foundation also contributed $50,000 to each of those organizations.