The head of a Hawaii committee formed to help victims of the Sept. 29 earthquake and tsunami in S�moa is asking residents to donate money for residents of Independent S�moa.

Gus Hannemann, chairman of the Samoa Tsunami Relief-Hawaii Committee, said people have rallied to help survivors in American S�moa, which also receives federal aid from the United States. But thousands of people in S�moa are still going without and are in need of assistance, Hannemann said.

The Sept. 29 tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake killed 34 people in American S�moa, 183 in S�moa and nine in Tonga.

Hannemann said S�moans in Hawaii have family and friends in both S�moas and he called on everyone to help those in need.

"It is our S�moan tradition to band together during 'faalavelave,' which means families share in the grief, burden and load when their families are in dire constraints," he said.

He said his committee's goal is to raise $100,000. Donations with checks payable to Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund can be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank.