Monastics and lay practitioners gathered at Hua Zang Si in San Francisco to chant mantras and the Amitabha Sutra in Tibetan and Chinese and to make offerings. They dedicated the merit from these offerings and requested blessings for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In the afternoon an auction and street fair were held outside the temple to raise funds for those impacted by Katrina. A similar ceremony was held in southern California at the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters. To date the United Relief Committee has raised over $100,000.