Text ASIA to 30333

Watching news of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, the Canadian Red Cross knew, almost instantly, that our help would be needed. We launched an appeal early Friday accepting donations from generous Canadians.

There are several ways people can donate to the Japan Earthquake/ Asia Pacific Tsunami Fund. Donations can be made at your local Red Cross office, at www.redcross.ca/helpnow or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

We also have a text-to-donate option for Canadians. All you need to do is text the word ASIA or ASIE to 30333 to donate $5 to Red Cross relief efforts for Japan. The $5 donation is added to your bill (you still have to pay the standard messaging rates on your plan).

The Canadian Red Cross put this call to action out to our Twitter followers. Within four hours of sharing this message on Twitter, our followers shared this information more than 900 times. To date, the message has been shared on Twitter more than 3,000 times.

On Twitter, timing is everything: breaking news is reported in real-time, people share information as it is happening to them. Many Twitter users are using the social networking tool from their smartphones, so responding to the call for text donations is as simple as a few clicks on their phone.

What the 'Tweeps' are saying:

I asked some of our Red Cross supporters on Twitter users why they like the SMS option. Here’s what they say – in 140 characters, of course:

@seanastewart: sms is quick and easy. Can do it anywhere and anytime. And conveniently added to cell bill.

@Nancyjt: It’s soooo easy&fast, Don't need credit card handy, paypal account, cheques and stamps. It's immediate.

@ambermac: SMS is the fastest way for me to send money to help victims in Japan, just wish I could set it up to donate every day for a mth

@meagan85: It's quick and easy.

@marcyberg: easy to do, affordable. And drives the message home that if everyone does a little we can make a big difference.

@casiestewart: SMS to donate is easy because you don't notice it on your phone bill, not hard to do!

@lank_e_one: Its an easy way to have great impact with minimal involvement & help people feel like they are a part of something > themselves

@Terrellyn: it's an easy way to teach my 8 year old son about humanitarian responsibility and we can txt to donate together.

@lizzaocampo: convenience convenience convenience! :D

@Wedding_crasher: ease of use and convenience.

@DezJames: its easy,fast, no wait lines. Completed at a push of button and its for a great cause.

You can find the Canadian Red Cross on Twitter at:

@redcrosscanada, @Croix_Rouge, @redcrosstalks, @redcrossBC, @redcrossAB, @redcrossSK, @redcrossMB

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