As promised in my prior postings on Monday and last Thursday I have matched the donations which readers have notified me that they have made.

Response was somewhat less than I had hoped, but it's understandable because many people simply don't want to disclose charity...they're not doing it for notoriety. And neither am I...I just thought this would be a good way to encourage more giving and maximize the giving power of people who participated.

Many people e-mailed saying "great idea" or "I have already donated, but I don't want to say how much".

In any case, here are the donations which were brought to my attention, giving only the first initial and the amount.

D: $20
D's husband: $30
R: $100
B&S: $400
S: $100
B: $55

Additionally, I accidentally deleted an e-mail from someone who I believe had the first initial R and which I think...in the 3 seconds I saw it...mentioned a combination of donations adding up to $500. (R, if you read this and I got it wrong, please let me know!)

So, the total (including my estimate from R) is $1205.

While I had offered to match 50%, I have decided to match 100%, and have therefore made a donation of $1205 to the Hurricane Katrina Fund at the American Red Cross.

To see a copy of my receipt (with my credit card and street address info blocked out), please click HERE.

Thanks for your generosity. Americans truly are the most generous people on the planet (despite the whining of UN bureaucrats who want ever more.)

Rossputin