Americans have contributed at least $739-million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The pace of giving is unprecedented in American history. In the 10 days after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Americans donated $239-million to charitable causes, and in the nine days after the tsunamis hit, major American relief groups raised $173-million. Still, the contributions do not yet come close to the total amount raised in the wake of those disasters. After the 2001 terrorist attacks, charities raised more than $2.2-billion and U.S. charities have collected nearly $1.3-billion for the tsunamis. The American Red Cross, in Washington, has raised far more than any other charity, taking in $578-million. By comparison, two and a half weeks after the South Asian tsunamis, the Red Cross had raised a little more than $173-million. "It's overwhelming," says Sarah Marchetti, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross. "People are just pouring their hearts out, and making a donation is an expression of that." For the entire article