14th October 2005

Rangers gets behind quake appeal

Rangers Football Club has pledged its support to the victims of the South Asian earthquake.

The Glasgow club has organised a huge merchandise giveaway in return for donations to help the millions of people affected by the disaster.

It has also launched a Money Can't Buy raffle at Rangers shops.

The campaign was launched as it emerged that £1.3m has been raised in Scotland for the Disasters Emergency Committee's (DEC) appeal for the victims.

Prizes in the Rangers raffle include the chance to travel with the team to the Champions League match against Artmedia Bratislava.

Minimum donation

A worldwide appeal for aid was launched following Saturday's earthquake, which is known to have killed more than 25,000 people in Pakistan and Kashmir.

About two million others have been left homeless.

Rangers fans will be able to get their hands on thousands of pounds of official merchandise, from former training kits to mugs, for a minimum donation of £3 at Rangers shops across Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday.

The £2 raffle tickets are also going on sale at the shops or can be bought on the Rangers hotline.

Top prizes include the Artmedia Bratislava clash next month and director's box tickets for Ibrox matches.

Manager Alex McLeish and chief executive Martin Bain launched the fund-raiser at the team's training ground at Murray Park.

Mr Bain said: "Both Alex McLeish and myself have been overwhelmed at the efforts of the staff who are united with the players in putting together this campaign.

"I am sure our supporters will do their bit to help as they have done in previous Rangers fund-raising initiatives."

McLeish said his players immediately volunteered their own time on Saturday to help the appeal, despite having an important away game in Dundee on Sunday.

He said: "Both the players and myself would like to appeal to our fans to come along to one of our stores on Saturday and show their generosity for this very worthy cause."

Glasgow Central MP Mohammad Sarwar thanked the Ibrox club on behalf of Scotland's Asian community and their relatives who have been caught up in the quake.

Mr Sarwar said: "Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, with schools destroyed and entire villages wiped out and it is encouraging that Rangers and their fans are helping this cause."

The DEC has described the response to its fund-raising campaign for quake victims as "stunning", with £1.3m raised in Scotland and £9m across the UK.

Organisers urged people to continue making contributions.

Source: The BBC