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spindles · 01-06-2005, 05:17 PM

Oz govt also making it easier for other funds to get there more easily. This is from an article about a charity cricket match being played on Monday:

Quote:

Meanwhile, England's Darren Gough will be the first overseas member of the World XI to arrive in Melbourne this morning, and will join a team comprising players from Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies.

The Steve Waugh-coached World XI will assemble in Melbourne over the weekend, preparing for a match that is projected to raise millions of dollars for victims of the tsunami through television rights, sponsorships, gate takings and a tele-thon that will run throughout the day-night encounter.

Already 46,000 tickets have been sold, raising hopes that the match will be a sell-out. And with the Australian Taxation Office pledging to ensure that tickets, food and merchandise purchased at the game will be tax-free, match organisers are confident much-needed funds won't be delayed by bureaucratic red tape.

"The ATO don't usually get a lot of raps, but they've been one of the unsung heroes so far," said Cricket Australia communications manager Peter Young. "They have pulled out all stops over the last seven days to untangle a lot of complicated legislature and make sure the money gets where it is needed."

Young said worldwide television rights would fetch "six figures, and just a bit short of seven figures", with the match to be beamed to the subcontinent, North America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Prime Minister John Howard will return from Indonesia for the pre-match coin toss, while the Royal Australian Air Force will send a pair of Hercules aircraft for a fly-over of the MCG before play.

The private sector has been similarly supportive of the match. To date, 20,000 Four'n Twenty pies, untold litres of Coca-Cola and a stadium's worth of Nestle ice cream have been donated, with all sales at the ground channelled directly to World Vision.

Qantas have reportedly incurred a cost of $100,000 to fly all players to and from Melbourne, while the Hyatt will accommodate all concerned free of charge. None, however, has matched the contribution of Australian team sponsor Travelex, which has committed $1 million to the charity.

"It really does rekindle your faith in human nature when you see the extraordinary efforts people have made for this," Young said. "Everywhere we've turned, people have been volunteering to assist us and do it free of charge. And the players, with the schedules the way they are, didn't blink when we asked them to be involved. It's great to know that with all the effort that has gone into putting this together, funds aren't going to be tied up in places they shouldn't be."

The Asian XI will turn out in gold-and-green uniforms, while the World XI will wear blue in the match, which was the brainchild of former Test cricketer and current Federation of International Cricketers' Association chief Tim May. A second game will be staged in India next month.