Two campus groups held fundraisers for Hurricane Katrina survivors last week.

Members of the Sacramento-Indian community put together “Restoring Hope ?” A Katrina Relief Effort” Saturday in the University Ballroom.

The Muslim Student Association and Islamic Relief held a fundraising dinner Friday in the University Ballroom to raise money for children living in poverty in Niger and Mali and also for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The coordinators of “Restoring Hope,” Tim Smith, the director of the Sacramento Christian Fellowship, and John Balachandra, professor of electrical and electronic engineering, organized the event.

The event started with a prayer led by Smith, followed by Balachandra, who proceeded to tell his story to the crowd.

Balachandra was near the beach when the second tsunami struck the island of Sri Lanka in 2004. He noted that if he were closer to the shore, he would be among the 31,000 Sri Lankans who died during the disaster.

“I have a second lease on life,” Balachandra said. “As a gratitude for all the help and relief that the United States gave Sri Lanka and following the tsunami, we are putting this event together to help with Hurricane Katrina.”

This was the fifth year for the Muslim Student Association’s event. The organization previously raised $30,000 for Palestine, $60,000 for orphans all over the world and $42,000 for Sudan, said Basma Marmosh, of Islamic Relief.

“Half of the money raised will go toward the starving children in Niger and Mali,” Marmosh said. “The other half will go toward Hurricane Katrina.”

Jamie Gonzales can be reached at news @statehornet.com