BRADENTION, Fla./EWORLDWIRE/May 12, 2008 --- A major press call is arranged at the East Midlands Airport, U.K. on Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at 19:00 (U.K. Local Time).A plane containing 1000 ShelterBoxes will leave for Yangon with the likelihood of one U.S. Shelterbox Response Team (SRT) member traveling with the aid and the other travelling separately. This is a collaborative effort of ShelterBox Trust UK, ShelterBox USA and the support of four other national affiliates of this grassroots' disaster relief organization.
A plane-side, press stand has been arranged on the runway, and interviews are being co-ordinated for Tom Henderson (founder-ShelterBox Trust), Lasse Petersen (Ops Manager), David Eby (U.S. Response Team member) and Patrick Olson (U.S. Response Team member).
FOR THE MEDIA: Major TV channels with a film crew in the U.K. which would like to attend the press call must contact press coordinator Amy Buckley as there is strike press protocol at the airport:
Amy Buckley
East Midlands Airport Press Officer
amy.buckley@eastmidlands.com.
All communications to Amy Buckley should also CC (carbon copy) publicity@shelterbox.org.
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
ShelterBox, the U.K.-based Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid Organization has been in Myanmar (formerly Burma) since Thursday, May 8. ShelterBox was confirmed as the first U.K.-based Humanitarian Aid / Disaster Relief team with aid to have landed in Yangon, Myanmar, to assist in the cyclone disaster relief work. The team comprised of four highly skilled disaster relief specialists spent time surveying and assessing the situation and distributing the initial 224 Boxes that accompanied the group. An additional 400 Boxes are also already in-transit. It has been confirmed with Myanmar officials that ShelterBox was the initial relief organization to arrive and gain official access after the May 4 cyclone.
To date, ShelterBox has distributed its unique aid package to 65 disaster events in 48 countries since 2001, including over 13,000 for the Christmas Asian tsunami of 2004. The quantities available for Myanmar relief depend on incoming donations to sponsor Boxes currently being assembled in ShelterBox Operations Centre in Cornwall, U.K. Boxes are sponsored by individuals and groups in various participating countries including Germany, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Each aid Box contains a 10-person tent, sleeping mats and mosquito netting, a stove and cooking implements, emergency water purification supplies, and hand tools. The Box and contents become the property of the recipient family. Each Box costs $1000, including world-wide transport, to sponsor. Donations of lesser amounts are compiled into multiple donor Boxes.
A limited number of Myanmar ShelterBox deployment photos are currently available. Contact U.K. or U.S. offices for files.
Pictures: Still images and video footage from previous deployments can be downloaded from ftp://shelterboxmedia@www.shelterbox.org " user name shelterboxmedia; password sh5938
UK CONTACT:
Sally Grint
Publicity & Fundraising Manager
The ShelterBox Trust HQ, UK
+44 (0)1326 569782
'http://www.shelterbox.org'
US CONTACT:
Beth Palmer
Executive Director
ShelterBox USA
Bradenton FL 34202
941-747-8500
admin@shelterboxusa.org
'http://www.shelterboxusa.org'
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