The American Red Cross and the Wireless Foundation announced its Text 2HELP program a day after this publication broke news that the system faltered on Labor Day.

The program will let mobile subscribers make a charitable donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by texting GIVE to the short code 2HELP (24357). The funds will go toward helping victims of Hurricane Gustav and any others that make landfall this season.

"We are encouraging cell phone users to make a $5 Text 2HELP donation to help the American Red Cross provide our neighbors in the Gulf Coast and people across the country with the help that they need in the face of emergencies," said Gail McGovern, president/CEO of the American Red Cross, in a statement from Washington.

Mobile subscribers of participating wireless carriers can donate $5 by texting the Red Cross short code. The donations will appear on the customer's monthly bill or be debited from prepaid account balances.

Standard text messaging rates will apply to the donations.

Mobile donors can text their donations through Oct. 31.

"As part of being prepared for emergencies, consumers should be familiar with sending text messages because text messaging provides an additional and unique way to stay in touch," said Steve Largent, president/CEO of The CTIA-Wireless Association and president of the Wireless Foundation, in a statement.

Participating carriers include AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile USA and Alltel.

VeriSign powers the messaging infrastructure for the SMS.

Belabored day
As reported yesterday (see story), both the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns on Labor Day touted the Red Cross short code to their supporters and those who signed up to receive alerts and updates.

However, a glitch in the system prevented some texted donations from going through. Many donors had to call in to the Red Cross toll-free number to make their $5 donations.

Those who texted in to donate in response to the McCain and Obama appeals received this message back:

"To confirm Ur $5.00 donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund reply w/ the word YES. www.redcross.org/en/t2h or 800-733-2767. Txt STOP 2 send. Std. msg rates aply CB: 800-733-2767".

However, as this writer experienced on Labor Day, texting in YES returned the original message -- not once, but six times, four of them in response to the Obama outreach and two heeding the McCain campaign's pitch at the Republican National Convention.

This writer received a proper confirmation from the Red Cross a good 18 hours later. The message from the short code 24357 read:

"2HELP: Thx 4 donating $5 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Ur donation will be on ur next bill. 800-733-2767 Stop 2 end CB: 800-733-2767".

It wasn't clear if this text confirmation implied that only one texted donation went through and not the six that were sent.

That said, texted donations may become increasingly prevalent as the technology improves and the donor public adopts the method.

"This is a supremely worthwhile effort," said Mark A. Siegel, Dallas, TX-based spokesman at AT&T.

"It's a great, easy way for people to donate and it is further proof that text messaging is deeply woven into our cultural DNA," he said.