Hoogezand tsunami-relief effort raises $30,100 in just 3 days; more expected

January 11, 2005 - More than US$30,100 (€22,977) in donations to support the Asian tsunami relief efforts has been raised in just three days at PPG’s fiber glass plant in Hoogezand, Netherlands.

The total includes about US$23,554 (€17,977) from employees and US$6,600 (€5,000) from the plant. The employee donations include cash, payroll deductions and contributions of accrued sick-leave bonuses normally used to fund an annual staff celebration. The Hoogezand facility’s works council and management team is coordinating the fund-raising campaign. The effort will continue through Feb. 1, according to Gerard Burger, plant manager.

Hoogezand employees’ generosity is “a reflection of the deep-rooted Dutch culture of reaching out to help others during an emergency,” Burger said.

“We’re very proud of how our employees have responded to the tsunami relief, but it’s not surprising at all,” Burger said. “The Dutch people have strong cultural, historical and religious influences when it comes to helping people in trouble. There are only 18 million people living in our country, but more than €122 million have already been donated to the help the tsunami victims."

Because of work schedules, only three of the plant’s five crews know about Hoogezand’s fund-raising. Burger expects donations to grow further once each of the facility’s 700-member staff knows about the effort. The Hoogezand donations will be funneled through the “Victim Tsunami Asia” fund, a joint initiative of various organizations in the Netherlands.