From the biggest names in entertainment and sports to the smallest members of communities, everyone wanted to help support the American Red Cross response to the hurricanes. Singers, actors, athletes and artists - like brothers Peyton and Eli Manning (pictured above) - lent their time, talent and energy to relief efforts, rolling up their sleeves to pitch in as well as helping raise money to support the hurricane response. (Photo Credit: Hugh Quinn/American Red Cross) Children in communities across the country held bake sales, sold lemonade and washed cars to raise money. (Photo Credit: A. Gibson/American Red Cross) Delivering Help The American Red Cross depends on the generosity of the public to provide assistance to those affected by disasters. The 2005 Hurricane Season demonstrated that help and kind-hearted people can be found everywhere, around the corner and around the world. From children cracking open their piggy banks and donating all of their savings to help, to corporations and foundations responding with multi-million dollar gifts, millions of people from all walks of life have turned to the American Red Cross to help deliver comfort and hope to hurricane survivors. The Red Cross appreciates and thanks all who have partnered in this response and is committed to upholding the trust that Americans and many others have in its ability to utilize funds efficiently and effectively. Thanks to the amazing generosity of donors, on Feb. 3, 2006, the American Red Cross announced that current financial donations and pledges will cover the $2.116 billion estimated cost for its response to Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma. As a good steward of donated dollars, the Red Cross has a standard practice of informing the public when sufficient funds have been raised to cover the costs associated with a disaster response. In keeping with that commitment, the Red Cross will no longer initiate fundraising activities for these hurricanes. The Red Cross asks donors to support the ongoing needs of hurricane survivors by giving to countless other charities and non-profit organizations that continue to raise funds for hurricane recovery efforts.*
	Donation Inquiries from Hurricane Season 2005 Contributors As a result of the tremendous outpouring of public support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other storms during the 2005 Hurricane Season, some donors may not yet have receive their tax acknowledgement from the American Red Cross. To accommodate this effort, and address other issues connected to your donation, the Red Cross has established a call center to address and resolve these issues. To learn more, visit Donation Inquiries from Hurricane Season 2005 Contributors.
	Read the Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma Stewardship Report For information about the Red Cross Hurricane relief and recovery efforts and further details regarding the impact that your generous donations are making in the lives of hurricane survivors, please read The Face of Recovery: The American Red Cross Response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita & Wilma [PDF].
How You Can Continue to Help For more than a century, the public has rallied behind the American Red Cross to help disaster victims across the country and across the world. To continue supporting the American Red Cross, you can:
	Support Where Our Need is Greatest The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies. The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, provides relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. You can help ensure that the Red Cross can continue to provide these lifesaving services and has the resources, talent and ability to continue to deliver them by making a donation to support all of its core services today.
	Support the National Disaster Relief Fund You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.
	Support Your Local American Red Cross Chapter Your local Red Cross chapter is committed to meeting the humanitarian needs of the people in your area, be it in disaster preparedness, disaster response, first aid and CPR training, or disease prevention. You can help support your local chapter programs and services by a gift to Your Local Red Cross Chapter.
*For a list of some agencies, visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov.