CCRP Press Release - September 14, 2005

The Canadian Communications Relief Project assists in relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina

On Sunday Sept. 11, Geoffrey Young and William Waites of the Canadian Communications Relief Project Inc. (CCRP) were deployed in Rayville, Louisiana as part of the WISPA initiative which is providing Internet and communications access to hundreds of shelters in the state and surrounding areas.

CCRP has also received requests from organizations in New Orleans to aid in the establishment of radio broadcasting and communication facilities at several different locations in that city.

WISPA is comprised of wireless experts from across the continent that are in the affected areas on their own personal money, leaving life, business and family behind in order to come together and provide what relief their expertise allows. Thus far, the WISPA initiative has been responsible for putting numerous families in touch with loved ones feared dead after Katrina hit.

The CCRP is a registered non-profit organization created with the express purpose of providing aid to Hurricane Katrina survivors in the form of communication expertise, one of the most needed resources at this time. For more information and to monitor our progress visit:
http://katrina.cnt.org/wordpress/

The CCRP is also part of a coordinated effort with the University of Winnipeg to locate needy students affected by Hurricane Katrina. The University of Winnipeg has agreed to waive tuition fees, assist with registration, link affected students with health and counseling services, and help arrange housing. The university will also offer information technology support to assist a university or college in the affected area.

Reports on the progress of the project will be also be available as communication allows on Mon, Tues and Weds mornings of CKUW's morning show, The Beat, which airs 8-9 am on CKUW radio, 95.9FM in Winnipeg as well as online at CKUW.ca.

The members of CCRP on the ground in the south are there on their own personal savings and are reliant on donations in order to stay down south and continue their work in order to help as many as possible of the 1+ million people who have had their lives destroyed and are missing family and friends. Our members hope to stay in the affected areas as long as they are needed and the CCRP is also looking into sending additional volunteers to help.

Donations should be made out to the Canadian Communications Relief Project Inc. and can be dropped off at CKUW, University of Winnipeg radio, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba or sent by mail to Carroll Fisher Belding, 1-1549 St. Mary's Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2M 5G9.

CCRP welcomes all media inquiries and we will do what we can in order to arrange interviews/communications with our people on the ground in the south. Availability will be dependant on the level of devastation in the various communities as well as the speed with
which CCRP and WISPA volunteers can build news communications infrastructure with affected communities

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Geoffrey Young is the news director at community radio CKUW in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has background in journalism and is currently taking international development studies at University of Winnipeg.

William Waites is a network communications engineer living in Montreal. He has developed Internet and VoIP networks in sectors ranging from the academic to corporate telecommunications firms. He is a pioneer in Internet broadcast streaming with slightly less than 10 years experience.

Stacey Belding is a lawyer in private practice who previously worked in communications in the non-profit sector. Kent Davies is a University of Winnipeg student and volunteer coordinator with CKUW radio. Kent and Stacey are working from Winnipeg to assist with the
efforts of the CCRP volunteers down south.

For more information about WISPA, contact: Mac Dearman, (318) 728-8600.

For more information about the University of Winnipeg's assistance offer, contact: Katherine Unruh, Director of Communications, (204) 782-3279 or Ilana Simon, Communications Officer, (204) 786-9930.