ROCKING FOR ASIA

The city council has teamed up with 11 charity and aid organisations and yesterday unveiled the “San Sebastian in solidarity with South East Asia” fund raising campaign.

100 '000 leaflets encouraging people to make a donation will be handed out across the city centre tonight and a special information centre is to be set up in Plaza Olivar where people can continue to give money until January 29 and find out about what action the 11 participating organisations are carrying out in the tsunami hit countries.

The campaign has been set up in collaboration with the Balearic government's Co-operation Committee and the charity organisations Bomberos sin Fronteras, Apotecaris Solidaris, Ayuda en Acción, Caritas de Mallorca, Cruz Roja, la Fundación Vicente Ferrer, Intermon Oxfam, Manos Unidas, Medicus Mundi, Médicos del Mundo and Unicef which all form part of the Balearic Emergency Committee.

Councillor for Social Affairs, Margalida Ferrando, yesterday called on the public to make a donation and help the aid efforts adding that all the money will go towards funding many of the Majorcan aid operations already underway in South east Asia. She also said that a series of fund raising events for the tsunami-hit region will be carried out in the next few months in an attempt to keep funds flowing.

THE Palma city council has announced that 70 Local Police patrols will be on duty during the Aiguafoc fireworks display tomorrow evening at 8.15p.m.
Extra Guardia Civil officers will also be on duty.
Four fully manned fire engines will be stationed at the docks, the Club Nautico, the Club de Mar and the Paseo Marítimo, and there will be a mobile fire engine which will act as back up.

The Red Cross will have three ambulances parked at the Moll Vell (the old quay), the Estación Marítimo and the Auditorium from 7pm (the fireworks display starts at 8.15pm).

The co-ordination centre for all the services will be situated in the Port Authority offices.
As to parking, the city council recommends using the car park at the Cuesta del Gas-Avenidas, the one near Gesa-Sa Nostra, the Polígono de Levante, the Son Moix car park, the area at the Son Hugo swimming pool, and the Carrefour car park in Calle General Riera.

The city council has also announced that the Dique del Oeste will be closed to the public which is rather a blow as the Dique del Oeste is one of the best vantage points.

The firework display is one of the highlights of the festivities to mark San Sebastian, the city patron's saint.
Tonight there will be a series of open-air concerts across Palma.
Organisers are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will stay fine.