ASU Bookstores launched an initiative across all four campuses last week, offering “Hope for Haiti” certificates for donors to sign and display on the store walls.

Within the first week the bookstores are already close to surpassing the goal of raising $10,000 for the American Red Cross relief fund.

“When I last saw the numbers [on Thursday], we were close to $8,000,” said Rob Meyers, assistant director of the University bookstores.

The Red Cross has received more than $28 million in text message donations in response to the earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12.

The amount, confirmed as of 2 p.m. PST on Sunday, is just a portion of the total $153 million the Red Cross has received in the aftermath of the country’s devastation.

“We’re quite overwhelmed with the amount of support we’ve received,” said Abi Weaver, a spokeswoman for Red Cross. “Within the first 48 hours, we had received more than $6 million in text donations, breaking the previous world record for mobile giving.”

That record belonged to Spanish TV station Antena 3, which launched a campaign following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, raising $5.9 million.

Initiated within three hours of the earthquake, the success of the Red Cross’ campaign was largely due to its partners spreading the word through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and the National Football League.

Last weekend, the NFL aired the mobile code during its telecast of the weekend’s playoff games, as well as on screens in the hosting arenas.

“We saw a spike [in donations] within the first hour of those games, up to $750,000,” Weaver said. “Before that the average was about $100,000 per hour.”

Many ASU students are finding convenient ways to donate to the Haiti relief fund.

“It’s pretty easy — it’s affordable, it’s simple. It takes you two seconds,” said Marek Lubomirski, a geography junior.

Lubomirski encouraged students who are able to help out to do so.

“On CNN, they were saying … that $3 can provide a nice warm blanket. I have $3. The smallest amount of money helps,” Lubomirski said. “It’s a disaster over there. … They need the help; I’m going to help them.”

Reach the reporter at joseph.schmidt@asu.edu