Tons of Gear Shipped to Pakistan
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After two days of packing by volunteers and staff at its Colorado headquarters, the American Alpine Club shipped six tons of winter gear and clothing to Pakistan for victims of the recent devastating earthquake. The gear was collected from AAC members and corporate contributors, with shipping donated by DHL and Pakistan International Airlines. More than 80,000 people were killed in the earthquake, and millions were left homeless.
Around 2.5 tons of high-quality parkas, tents, sleeping bags, boots and other gear were sent to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which will orchestrate distribution by truck and donkey to isolated mountain villages. Another 3.5 tons of gear is destined for lower-elevation disaster zones. Thousands of dollars of cash was donated to cover distribution expenses in Pakistan and to buy food and medicine. In addition to individuals’ contributions, the AAC received gear and clothing from the American Alpine Institute, Climb Axe, EverestGear.com, Indigo Equipment, International Mountain Guides, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, Patagonia and Wild Things, and Trango donated boxes for shipping. Patagonia also is sending 21,000 items directly from its European offices.
For those who would still like to donate, http://www.kashmirrelief.org and http://quakehelp.net are coordinating ongoing gear and clothing drives for Pakistan.
