Bermuda residents sprang into action with more than empty gestures of support when the tragedy occurred a year ago.

Within the first week hundreds contacted the local Red Cross branch demanding to know how they could give financial assistance to the attacks' victims.

As New York City services were struggling to cope with the counselling and the emergency relief needs of thousands, locals were determined to help.

But the Red Cross found itself without the mandate to collect funds as an appeal had not been launched by the international headquarters in Switzerland or the American branch.

So director Ann Spencer Arscott announced that while there was no formal appeal residents chould make donations.

The Bermuda Red Cross collected more than $50,000 which was passed on to the American Red Cross with the request that it be donated to families of the victims of the attacks on Washington and New York City.

"We raised funds because people wanted to give money," she said. Most of that money came from the general public and not companies.

Mrs. Spencer Arscott said one good thing that might have come out of the disaster was a new appreciation for volunteerism.

But, partly because there was no formal appeal, donations to the Red Cross were far less than for other disasters, said Mrs. Spencer Arscott.

"I think people were probably still in shock or they were thinking it would be handled in America."

The American Red Cross sent back a thank you letter and a plaque depicting a scene of relief work at Ground Zero. But to date the American branch has not sent back any verification of how the Bermuda funds were used.

"Even though we asked for that, we realise we never got anything back. So it would be up to us to get back to them and ask. I truly believe it would go to the general fund," said Mrs. Spencer Arscott.

Organised efforts, like the Bermuda American Relief Fund (BARF), raised much more.

A coalition of concerned organisations, BARF came into being as a co-ordinated campaign which brought together the Bank of Bermuda, the Bank of N.T. Butterfield and the American Society of Bermuda.

All three had started separate funds and a collaborative approach was needed, said fundraising consultant and event planner Geneva Humdy Woodley.

A committee was formed and a non-voting member appointed to help with planning, logistics and other development work.

"As a New Yorker and an American I felt it very personally," she said. "I wanted to do something - I just felt I was out of the loop."

A handful of New York charities were initially selected as recipients of the funds. Further research turned up Safe Horizon, another New York charity whose mandate seemed perfectly suited to the needs of New Yorkers and the wishes of the local community.

The committee decided to send the bulk ($459,000) of the funds raised to Safe Horizon.

Smaller amounts (under $10,000) were sent to the United Way September 11 Fund, the New York Firefighters 911 Disaster Relief Fund, the New York Police Widows and Children Benefit Fund and the New York Firefighters Widows and Children Benefit Fund.

Much of that money which was sent to New York by early January came from the Bank of Bermuda ($250,000) and the Bank of N.T. Butterfield ($150,000).

Of all the recipients, only Safe Horizon has actually acknowledged Bermuda's donations.

"With the other organisations I'm pretty sure they will be forthcoming," said Mrs. Humdy Woodley. "It's been a very stressful period I guess for them to respond as they should have."

The American Society donated funds as did hundreds of individuals who deposited money directly into bank accounts set up for the purpose.

"Safe Horizon is the only agency authorised to disburse emergency relief funds (to cover such things as lost wages, counselling and medical needs and funeral expenses) to individuals or families on a same day basis," said Mrs. Humdy Woodley

The charity is fully staffed and also does trauma counselling and referrals to other agencies.

Thousands of New Yorkers were helped during the immediate aftermath of the crisis and Safe Horizon is still working hard to mitigate the effects of 9/11.

"It's a wonderful organisation," she said. "I met with the development director there three months ago - they are still doing work, they're not finished yet."