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CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: Raising Money for the Victims

Aired September 21, 2001 - 06:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well even just plain folks are raising money, too, and that's good enough as well.

As Curtis Jay of CNN affiliate WBBH reports, the inside of an entire restaurant is being stripped just to help the victims of the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURTIS JAY, WBBH-TV REPORTER: It's a popular hangout for many tourists visiting Captiva Island.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The atmosphere is absolutely lovely, yes, very quiet and laid back, yes. It's just really nice.

JAY: And when someone visits Barnacle Bill, they usually leave something behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dollars just keep piling up. And we've left ours. We can't find dollars now because there's dollars on dollars.

JAY: This has been going on here for at least 16 years, but the tradition is much older.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an old sailor thing from way back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fishermen would leave a dollar with their name on it when they had a good run of fish and they had good luck.

JAY: And in bad times when fish weren't running, they'd take their dollars off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we felt like with the events that have happened, this is a fine time to pull the dollars off the bill and send them to New York.

JAY: No one knows for sure how much is here. Many of the dollars are stacked upon each other. The light even has a tint of green.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've never taken them off before.

JAY: But come Saturday, what's probably the most expensive wallpaper in upper Captiva will be coming down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Us being kind of isolated down here on the Barrier Island, it's -- you feel like you're out of touch in a way but this will definitely give us, you know, our -- do our part.

JAY: And with every dollar goes the hope of many here that in some small way they'll help with the nation's cause.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Curtis Jay reporting from Florida. Every dollar counts.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That's a great idea -- a great idea.

LIN: Thanks for pitching in.

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