Buddhist charity raises $10 million for Sandy victims

A Buddhist charity is set to give $10 million to victims of Hurricane Sandy for Thanksgiving, the organization said yesterday.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation raised the money from individual donors around the world, and will distribute most of the fund in $600 debit cards to families.

"The words 'Tzu Chi' mean 'compassionate relief' in Mandarin and that's exactly what we hope our aid will bring New Yorkers in their time of greatest need," said George Chang, executive director of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Northeast Region.

City Comptroller John Liu's office will help the organization connect with local families and agencies to distribute the funds.