Herald staff reports

 Pledges poured in for Elian Gonzalez Sunday, the second official day of
 fund-raising for legal costs of the fight to keep the 6-year-old Cuban boy in the
 United States.

 The amount collected Sunday about doubled what had been collected the day
 before.

 ``We're over $200,000 now,'' said family spokesman Armando Gutierrez. ``And
 that's from very poor people, very middle class, they cross over from the whole
 community.

 More than $100,000 was reportedly raised through a radio marathon Saturday on
 four stations: WAQI-AM (710); WAMR-FM (107.5); WRHC-AM (1560); and
 WWFE-AM (670). Sunday, the radio blitz continued.

 ``It was all small donations: $5, $10, $20, some $40 and some $1 donations,''
 Gutierrez said. ``Thousands of them. It's mostly regular people giving money. No
 organizations.

 ``We're very, very pleased at how people have responded. We got pledges of
 donations from as far away as Chicago. I don't know how they found the number.''

 The response was so big, Gutierrez added, that the radio stations may continue
 the campaign today. ``Because people couldn't get through the phone [Sunday]
 even though we had 15 lines.''

 People can also donate at any Ocean Bank or mail checks payable to the Elian
 Gonzalez Defense Trust Fund to P.O. Box 441088, Miami, FL 33144-1088.
 

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald