“I wanted my professors and fellow students and all of UC Davis to know what is happening in Nepal,” says Bimala Bogati, a third-year student from the earthquake-ravaged country. So she organized a vigil and fundraiser — held Thursday night (April 30) outside the Memorial Union.

Several hundred people turned out, and Bogati said she almost cried, that’s how heartened she was. “It was so nice to see this show of support.”

The speakers included Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter, who sent an email earlier inviting the campus community “to join us as we extend our love and support to the 7 million Nepalese who are affected by this natural disaster.”

“Dozens of dedicated student groups have come together to organize, support and facilitate donations in response to the devastation caused by this earthquake,” he wrote. “My gratitude and appreciation goes out to each of these groups for their selfless efforts to gather the UC Davis community in this time of need, and to support our students with families in the affected areas.”

Before the vigil, Bogati provided the following list of relief organizations, describing them all as trusted and recognized:

• Gothalo Nepal — This nonprofit organization in Nepal is raising funds through an indiegogo campaign: Nepal Earthquake Charity for Orphaned Children. “This is an organization formed by students, almost all of them under 25,” Bogati said.
• Non-Resident Nepali National Coordination Council of USA — Look for the donation button on this page.
• NAFCA Davis CA — This nonprofit organization, the local branch of the Nepalese and Friends Cultural Association (NAFCA), has set up a gofundme site to collect donations for earthquake relief. “All donations collected will be properly donated to authentic institutions like the Nepal Red Cross Society, etc.,” Nafca Davis CA says on the gofundme site.
• American Red Cross (for Nepal earthquake relief)

Provost Hexter offered this option: Help Nepal Today.

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