TORONTO — Canadians' sympathy for tsunami victims has become manifest in a deluge of dollars that sometimes arrives in ways that astonish even those who collect for tragedies on a daily basis.

CARE Canada officials were stunned when a caller pledged the largest single donation yet to its tsunami relief campaign: $500,000.

"My colleague answered the phone and we heard her go through the regular spiel and then she stopped and said `How much?','' said spokeswoman Melanie Brooks.

"We all kind of looked over because she's normally very composed, but her hand holding the phone started shaking.''

When she hung up and explained that an anonymous estate was making the big donation, "there was just this stunned silence, then everybody was cheering and clapping.''

Friday's pledge meant that, as of Saturday, CARE Canada had reached the $1 million mark in its campaign, said Brooks.

The federal government has pledged to exceed the $25 million originally earmarked for matching private donations. A spokesman said the government will match as much as is donated by individual Canadians up to Jan. 11.

With the matching funds, CARE Canada is close to achieving its projected total of $2.5 million for its entire campaign.

Brooks said one American donor told CARE Canada she was giving to CARE Canada because, after failing to connect to the U.S. CARE website, she tried the Canadian site and discovered the government promise to match funds.

"So she said `Well, might as well donate in Canada.' ''

In Oakville, Ont., west of Toronto, about 1,000 spectators gathered for an annual polar bear swim to benefit World Vision Canada, an event that usually raises about $20,000 for the charity.

This year, it brought in at least $51,000, said spokeswoman Marie Virgos.

"If you take into account the fact that government of Canada's matching one-for-one, that's $100,000 from the swim alone,'' Virgos said, her voice quivering with emotion.

About 500 swimmers from the ages of eight to 65 toughed out a temperature of 1 C to splash into frigid Lake Ontario, some decked out in outlandish costumes, others with tributes to the victims painted on their bodies.

"One man had a Swedish flag painted on his back in memory of the almost 3,000 Swedish citizens who are missing,'' Virgos said.

"It had a very different mood this year. There's been a lot of tears, there's been a lot of outpouring of emotion. You just get to see the heart of people.''

World Vision Canada's total donations had reached $4 million by Saturday, and it hoped to raise a total of $10 million during its campaign.

Other aid agencies continued to see money flow in over the weekend, with the Canadian Red Cross at more than $26 million on Saturday, Oxfam Canada at $2.3 million and UNICEF Canada at more than $3 million. Christian Children's Fund of Canada has so far raised over $125,000 for relief and reconstruction in Sri Lanka and India and hopes to reach a goal of $5 million.

"The flood of devastation has turned into a flood of compassion,'' said Camillus Mendis, Sri Lanka Country Director for CCF Canada.

"And the generosity of Canadians is giving people reason to hope.''

CCF Canada offices in Toronto have been flooded with calls from sponsors about their foster children in Sri Lanka, he said.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said it is organizing a national collection Jan. 9 and hopes that the country's 13 million Catholics will all make a contribution. It has already sent $100,000 in emergency aid.

While the focus on helping tsunami victims has generated a huge response, donations have grown to some other global tragedies, said Oxfam spokesman Roger Musselman.

"Our general fundraising has shot up fairly significantly,'' he said.

"And also, people are giving to other emergencies, such as (the war-torn Sudanese area of) Darfur.''

Musselman suspects that higher traffic at charity websites such as Oxfam's is increasing awareness of international emergencies.

However, at least one Canadian charity has said it worries the focus on tsunami relief is diverting money from local charities.

"The terrible tragedy makes toys and turkeys seem frivolous,'' said Kai Madsen of Winnipeg's Christmas Cheer Board, which provides hampers to poor families.

"It's just not as important right now as what we see happening overseas,'' he told the Winnipeg Free Press.

More than 21,000 families in Winnipeg received hampers from the Cheer Board this year. Although it can pay its bills and it fundraising isn't over yet, the board's campaign has so far raised $650,000, about $100,000 short of its goal.