LOS ANGELES, CA  [Thursday Dec.30.2004]  /WMQT.com/ -- In the wake of Sunday's (December 26) earthquake in the Indian Ocean and the deadly tidal waves that wreaked havoc from Indonesia to Somalia leaving an estimated 116,000 people dead so far, Linkin Park has started the Music for Relief fund to help victims of the disaster. MTV.com reports that the band founded the charity in partnership with the American Red Cross. Linkin Park made a $100,000 donation to the fund to get Music for Relief started. The band hopes fans and other artists will help, too.

Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson told MTV, "As a band, we were in a position to help, but this needs to be a lot broader effort - both by our fans and by other musicians. If one of our fans can donate $10, then that's going to help, and the faster we can do it, the better."

Delson continued, "Here in the States, we might not think that we're directly affected by all this, but we can help. And the more we can do, and the quicker we can do it, the more lives we can save. Obviously, there's been a horrendous, unparalleled loss of life. But a lot more people are going to die from being homeless and the problems with the water and diseases."

The International Red Cross estimates that the death toll from the catastrophe will rise sharply due to food shortages and the serious risk for waterborne diseases.

"The whole thing is really a race against time," Delson said. "We don't have a specific monetary goal right now. But we hope that anyone and everyone who can help will. We hope people will contribute what they can, because we can really save lives."

To learn more and make a donation, go to http://www.musicforrelief.org/ or http://www.redcross.org/.

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