Haiti Effort at PC Remains in Forefront

Nearly one month of school has passed since the devastating earthquake took the lives of thousands in Haiti. Project Haiti raised an estimated $4,000 in the past month, but the group hopes collaborative initiatives will increase the amount of donations to their goal of $10,000.
Their goal is based on an estimate of each PC student donating only $2.50. To help make this possible the Haiti group split into three subcommittees: entertainment, education, and fundraising and donations.
The Entertainment committee is in the midst of planning several benefit concerts.
“Everyone who has something to perform came up to me to help,” said Jayo Macasaquit ’11. “We could not do one big concert incorporating everything, so we decided to do a series of concert fundraising.”
The concerts are still in the planning processes but may include a capella, bands, comedy, and so on. WDOM is also helping put on a concert to help benefit Haiti. One large event is the annual Swing Night by SOAR with a large swing band held at McPhail’s on Feb. 17. For those who do not know how to swing, before the band begins to play there will be an hour of swing lessons put on by PC’s unofficial ballroom dance club. Tickets will not be sold, but everyone is encouraged to bring a donation no matter what amount.
Over the next two weeks various groups are collaborating with Frey’s Florist on a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day. Different groups will be selling and delivering flowers and chocolates. The money made will be donated to Forward in Health.
Other tentative events being planned are a fundraiser at McPhail’s including deals on drinks and a band, selling homemade granola, a three-versus-three basketball tournament, and a fundraiser at UNO Chicago Grill. All of these events are collaborations with groups on campus ranging from Campus Ministry to Friar Faithful and Student Congress.
A more long-term event being planned is a tag sale that would happen at the end of the semester.
“Two seniors [Casey Kevorkian and Hailey Johnson] are working on what we hope to be a tag sale,” said Mary Bogan ’11. “We will hopefully have people in the off and on-campus apartments sell things they would normally throw out, like rugs and lamps. All the profits made would go to Haiti relief efforts.”
Not only would the profits go to Haiti, but students who are planning on moving off campus can get deals on items they will need next year, creating a win-win situation. The events are all in hopes of raising money to Haiti’s various organizations and relief efforts. Project Haiti feels students can help directly by attending the events and donating towards the cause.
“Considering how complex the problem is, the solution is going to be very long term,” said Bogan. “Seeing leaders continue their initiatives could allow for PC to take an active role in long-term relief efforts. It has been very encouraging to see clubs, individuals, and groups collaborating together, taking a proactive role. It highlights the potential the school has.”
To help keep students’ minds and hearts towards Haiti, the education committee is planning on keeping updates available to students. There will be weekly updates on international and national involvement in Haiti relief efforts, as well as PC’s efforts. The committee hopes to have updates in Lower Slavin, Raymond Cafeteria, The Cowl, and on each floor in the dormitories.
In addition to weekly updates the committee is planning more specific and personal ways students can help. The committee is planning an event where students can write letters to children in Haiti. There will also be a clothes drive. The group wants to choose a specific orphanage to which to donate.
Another event is based off of an event that PC did last year with MasterPiece. There was a simulated “refugee camp” that helped students experience what it was like to be displaced. While last year’s focus was on Sudan, this year the focus will be on Haiti. The committee hopes to get a speaker that can expound on the situation beyond the quake in Haiti.
“Basically we are focusing on three events that will leave a lasting impact on the campus spread throughout the semester,” said Victoria Ngare ’11. “We want people to give money to a problem they are invested in which means they need to know what is going on.”
A small subcommittee is helping get students more invested in the problem by setting a series of lectures. The first lecture is focused on how to keep faith through hard times. The others are in the organization process, but the committee has some big ideas. One lecture will be focused on the scientific details of earthquakes. Another lecture will be about the different organizations in Haiti; which organizations are legitimate and which to avoid. The committee wants to get organizations to come to PC so that students can look for an organization to which to give.
One major focus for Project Haiti is  to emphasize that Haiti is not in need solely because they suffered an earthquake.
“We want people to know it should not take a quake for people to get active,” said Macasaquit. “We want them to pay attention to other causes and we do not want them to fade away, because it is going to take a long time for Haiti to rebuild.”
The subcommittees of Project Haiti are working to organize more events to benefit Haiti which will extend throughout the semester and next year.