Bush gives $10,000 from personal funds for tsunami relief

US President George W Bush has contributed $10,000 from his personal funds for the tsunami victims.

US President George W Bush, who has pledged $350 million in aid to help victims of Asian countries ravaged by the tsunami, has contributed $10,000 from his personal funds to the relief effort, his spokesman said.

HT Image

In a speech on legal issues in Illinois, Bush praised the US military for its "heroic work" in assisting tsunami victims and urged Americans to continue to open their wallets.

"The most important contribution a person can make is cash," Bush said. "There's huge generosity here in America."

Scott McClellan, White House press secretary, told reporters travelling with Bush on Wednesday that the President - himself a multimillionaire - had written cheques to several organisations listed on a website set up to direct Americans to various reputable charities collecting private contributions for tsunami relief.