Earthquake in Italy: Toronto aid efforts get off the ground quickly

Toronto's 800-thousand-strong Italian-Canadian community was already planning fundraising events Wednesday, just a day after an earthquake killed at least 159 people in central Italy.

The main group, the National Congress of Italian Canadians, was setting up a bank account through which people can donate money for relief.

Congress president President Silvana Tibollo said Wednesday evening that the account, at Italian Canadian Savings and Credit Union branches around the Greater Toronto Area, would be active "first thing in the morning."

And the Italian Consulate in Toronto posted on its website a link to the Italian Red Cross, which is accepting donations from people around the world, either online or via wire transfers.

"The phone has been ringing from early in the morning," said Consul General Giuseppe Pastorelli. "People are asking, how can I get information? What can I do to help?"

'A big thank you'

"A big thank you to all Canadians who have taken the time to get in touch. We've had many emails, telephone calls, tweets," Pastorelli said

The consular website also displays a phone number people here can use to check on the well-being of their friends and relatives in central Italy.

Pastorelli said the consulate would be ready in the days and weeks ahead to help any local Italian cultural groups that want to launch fundraisers.

'Calls are coming in from everywhere'

Already, some people have been stepping up, Tibollo said. "I just got a call from ... a choir conductor, who said he'd like to get a performance together to raise money. He said, 'Anything I can do to help.'"

"Calls are coming in from everywhere."

Villa Charities, an Italian-Canadian group that raises money for charitable causes, issued a statement Wednesday that read in part "In the days ahead, once the full impact of the earthquake is more fully understood, we will evaluate how we can best provide support to individuals and communities in Umbria, Lazio and Marche, and especially in the hardest hit areas. We will reach out to other organizations , businesses and individuals across the GTA to determine how we can most effectively work together to meet those regions' greatest needs."

The Canadian Red Cross office in Toronto said Wednesday it too is awaiting reports from Red Cross teams at the scene to determine exactly what is needed.