Whoa. The German race driver opens up his heart and purse…

BERLIN (Reuters) – Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher is to donate $10 million (5.3 million pounds to help the victims of the South Asian tsunami, his manager Willi Weber says.

The donation from Schumacher was announced by Weber on a German television fundraising drive that on Tuesday evening received more than 34 million euros in pledges.

“It’s so unfathomable and horrible what happened to so many people,” Schumacher, who turned 36 on Monday, said in comments on his website. “One cannot simply blind it out. We’re suffering with them.”

The official death toll from the Asian tsunami on December 26 has climbed to around 150,000, with millions left homeless, hungry and threatened by disease.

Schumacher, driving for Ferrari, won his seventh F1 world title last year.

Update: The Reuters blurb doesn’t mention that Schumacher was personally affected by the disaster.

A bodyguard for seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was among those killed in the tsunami disaster. Burkhard Cramer died in Phuket, Thailand, Schumacher spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said Wednesday. Cramer’s two sons also are believed to have died.

Very sad.

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