I'm going on a charity drive - to the Philippines via 27 countries!

3:19pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News

Suraj Estrella Suraj Estrella

A MAN from North Baddesley is preparing to make a 13,000 mile drive from the UK to the Philippines to raise money for Oxfam.

Suraj Estrella, 28, will travel through up to 27 countries, more than 50 major cities and is hoping to make £5,000 for the charity in the process.

The journey, which starts next week , will take between three-and-a-half to four months to complete.

A free fundraising event to raise awareness of the trip will be taking place at Revolution, Bedford Place, Southampton from 7.30pm on Sunday .

There will be a few carnival games for the public to play including guess how many sweets in a jar, raffles etc for some light fundraising.

The top prize is a signed Saints shirt and badge.

Other prizes include VIP tables for a night in Revolution and Cafe Parfait.

Suraj said: “All donations will go to Oxfam to help with the work they currently do there.

“It will mainly go to those that have suffered or are still suffering from the flood in Philippines in mid 2012.”

He added that he is looking forward to driving through the Alps, driving to the Pyramids, Pamukkale in Turkey (hot spring terraces), the Taj Mahal, and various wildlife reserves featuring elephants and tigers as well as Ankor Wat in Cambodia.

Followers will be able to keep up to date with action and make donations on Suraj's website, uk-2-philippines.com.

Comments(9)

msteverm says...
4:18pm Sat 2 Mar 13

How much money does it take to travel, by car, overland, to the Phillipines? Are your sponsors paying for your holiday?

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J.P.M says...
5:55pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Yaawn!
Another headline grabbing, sanctimoneous gesture, which costs more than it earns......
BUT ITS ALL FOR CHEERITEE!

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FreeNelsonMantle says...
9:26pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Not sure how someone paying his own money to do something to raise donations to a charity constitutes as his holiday being paid for.

Some people are soo blood y minded

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Paramjit Bahia says...
1:12am Sun 3 Mar 13

Unfortunately there will always be some people who love criticising or ridiculing people who unlike them get off their back side and try to do something good for others in a way they think to be correct.

Obviously there in no shortage of such lot on this website.

Although I do not even know Suraj Estrella, I admire and respect him for doing something useful for humanity. If I am in Southampton on Sunday evening I will most certainly drop in to donate my fiver, otherwise will contact a friend to do it for me.

Echo also deserves apperciation for providing useful publicity to this effort.

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cliffwalker says...
12:53pm Sun 3 Mar 13

Before contributing I would want to know that proceeds of the fundraising were being properly accounted for and audited by oxfam or by a reputable, independent organisation. We have read recently in the Echo about people soliciting money for charitable purposes which was criminally misappropriated.

I'm sure there were donors to the cancer charity scam who admired and respected gang members who they did not know. I recommend careful checking before dropping in to donate your fiver.

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T Girl says...
4:22pm Sun 3 Mar 13

For crying out loud have people got no sense of humanity or charity?! If you take the time to visit his website you will see he is from the Philippines and has been back home in the wake of the 2012 floods. After seeing the devastation caused he is fundraising, with the help of his family and local businesses, to be able to do something to help to raise money and awareness for Oxfam. Good luck to him.

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Soton Saint says...
12:41am Mon 4 Mar 13

Suraj is a very good friend of mine and has friends and family that have suffered from the floods. There is far too much negativity. He has taken time out of his life to help people that are worse of than us. Don't be mean and donate to a good cause. I have!

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cliffwalker says...
4:11am Mon 4 Mar 13

I've looked at the website uk-2-philippines.com which invites me to contribute to the cost of the promoter's 12,00 mile excursion to his city of birth as well as giving me the opportunity to donate to Oxfam. I already knew of and had the opportunity to donate to Oxfam before Mr Estrella dreamt up this scheme for funding his adventure holiday. I wish him well but he can pay for his own fun.

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cliffwalker says...
4:24am Mon 4 Mar 13

Perhaps I should mention that reading the website uk-2-philipines.com you may be misled into believing that it is a registered charity because a charity number is given right after the name of the website. This number is the number for Oxfam and not that of the website. The whole affair is a turnoff for me.

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